The Power of Youth
by Lady C Andrews
Summary: New chapter coming soon!
1. Chapter 1: My Love

_**Disclaimer**: I don't own Naruto or any related characters. If I did, Sakura would've definitely fallen for Lee-kun. XD_

_**AN**: I honestly don't know where this idea came from. Something a little different from what you may be used to. Note that I never had any children yet and don't plan on it for a while, so I really wouldn't know how a teenager, with an unplanned pregnancy, would feel. I watch Lifetime, 'kay? XP_

_(After the adding of the title) Oh my god, that title even sounds like it belongs on Lifetime!_

_**Special Thanks to my friend; EnduranceInTribulation for Beta-ing my story for me and helping me out when I needed it. Yay for you!**_

_**Full Summary**: What would happen to a sixteen year old Sakura and a seventeen year old Lee when they are met with a life altering decision? Such a decision could break their relationship or make it even stronger than it was before. _

_**Warning(s)**: Implied Sex, duh. Sakura and Lee (duh, again), teenage pregnancy (duh, a third time). Slight OOC-ness... :-(_

_**(Possible) Side Pairing(s)**: Naruto/Hinata, Shikamaru/Ino, Neji/Tenten_

_**-------- **_

_**The Power of Youth  
**__**By SapphireWhiteTigress**_

**Chapter I – My Love**

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They met in a secluded area at sundown, to get away from the busy life in the village. They met here often, for almost a year, not to keep their relationship a secret but to protect it from potential danger. They were deeply in love and couldn't get enough of the other. It was an innocent type of love. They hugged, kissed, held hands...stuff of that degree. They didn't want to do anything the other didn't want to, and that was driving them both crazy. Because, when one comes down to it, they **_wanted_** and **_needed_** each other.

The two never brought up furthering their relationship. Even though they had desires, they didn't want their desires to get in the way of what they loved more, which was each other. So for that, they could wait until they were ready.

They rested against a tree, contented to be in each other's company while under the star filled sky. Her head nestled against his shoulder while he wrapped an arm around her protectively; after all, he did swore to protect her with his life, no matter where they may be.

Sakura sighed in blissfulness as she rested her head on the shoulders of her boyfriend, her pink hair cascading down his shoulder in waves. Who would've thought that Haruno Sakura would be over Sasuke and happy in love with Rock Lee? Weird things happen, but at least she was happy with the way things turned out.

Lee started to dose off after sitting there for almost an hour, gazing at the stars in the most comfortable silence they have ever been in. Sakura noticed and playfully poke Lee in the side.

"You're falling asleep," She said with a slight giggle.

Lee groggily glanced down at her and pulled her closer to him, shifting a tired yawn. "Well, we have been training exceedingly hard today..."

She cuddled up under him as they shared a thoughtful silence. "Do you want to go back now?" She asked him.

Lee made a low noise in the back of his throat, too tired to actually say anything. Today has been an exceptionally hard day with Gai-sensei's intense training. He doesn't usually mind his sensei's training, Lee is most likely the one that actually out-do his mentor, but today, he just overdid it and right now, all he wanted was to spend some time with the person he loves more than the world and fall asleep with her by his side.

Sakura stared at him as he drifted, his eyes closed. She remembered when they first met and how she tried to desperately get away from him. She was foolish back than, but that was almost four years ago. She was now older and more mature and appreciate all the little things life had to offer. She couldn't believe she thought he wasn't cute or adorable back than.

"Sakura-chan..." Lee said, not bothering to open his eyes. At first, she thought he was talking in his sleep until she felt him pull her even closer to him, before relaxing. "...I love you..." He whispered into her ear.

Sakura shivered from pleasure with feeling his hot breath on her earlobe. "I love you, too, Lee-kun..." She gently kissed his cheek and he smiled.

"I am glad..." He said softly, fighting to stay awake. Lee couldn't be cuter in that moment, trying so hard to stay awake, while under the calming blanket of the night sky. Lee tiredly grinned as he remembered the day he asked her out and she finally accepted.

That was almost one year ago, with Thursday (it being Saturday) being their one year anniversary and Lee had everything planned for the perfect night with the perfect girl.

Suddenly, a swift wind blew against them, ruffling Sakura's hair. She shivered slightly as the temperature dropped and huddled against Lee, trying to draw in his body heat. Lee opened one eye at her, grabbed his bag that lied abandon by his side and pulled out a soft, cozy looking blue blanket. He always carried one with him for such an occasion, since he loved to sleep under the stars. He draped the blanket over the two of them to protect them from the chill.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

She nodded against his shoulder and he pulled her between his legs and wrapped his arms around her thin waist. She leaned back against his strong chest with a sigh. Lee was the best guy there ever was. He just had to be. She meant that. He was so sweet, caring, considerate...everything a girl could possibly want in a guy. He wasn't pushy and made her feel like she was unwanted. He would never, ever make her do anything she didn't want to do. She was really lucky to have him, while he thought otherwise. **_He_** was the lucky one to hold a place inside of her beautiful heart. To actually **_be_** the one holding her heart so gently in his callous hands. He didn't deserve her, but he wouldn't give her up for the world. _Not over his dead body_,

It was now getting extremely late, but neither cared. They would spend the night out there, if they had to, like they had many times before.

"Lee-kun..." It was Sakura's turn to casually break the silence.

"Hn?" He asked absently. Why was he so tired? He just felt so at ease with her there with him.

She stalled for a moment before saying; "How much do you love me?"

Lee's soft chuckle reached her ears as he gently tighten his arms around her waist in a loving awkward hug before releasing. "What kind of question is that? I love you from the earth to the stars and beyond, into the infinite abyss known as space." He said and kissed the top of her head.

Apparently satisfied with that answer, she went back to gazing at the stars. She wasn't as sleepy as Lee seemed to be. Actually, she felt energetic right now. "Lee-kun?" She said with a giggle this time. She begin to wondered if she was becoming annoying.

This time he playfully groaned out a response.

She asked her question. "Why do you love me?" She kneew the answer, she asked him a thousand times before, but she loved to hear him tell her over and over again how much he loves her and what she means to him.

"What not to love about you? Your beauty, your youthfulness, your strength...everything. I love everything about you. From your forehead to your toes." He laughed.

Sakura jabbed him playfully in the side. "Lee-kun, you can be so silly sometimes."

"I try." He said. When she thought about it, Lee had changed over the four years she's known him. He's much taller, more built, his voice has gotten deeper, as what happens when young boys become men. He's wasn't as 'crazy' as he was back when he was 13, preaching about youth and whatnot with that Gai-sensei of his. He's more calm and quieter, but also fierce and dangerous when in battle. He became one of the best ninjas in the village and she was thoroughly proud of her little Lee-kun, who wasn't so little anymore.

They were quiet for a moment and Sakura begin to think about certain things. Here she was, sitting between the legs of the man she loved, content with just being there and staring at the beautiful stars. Her mind started to wander to other things, as they often did when she was with him. They've been dating for almost a year and they have not once attempted to take **_that_** step. She was mostly afraid, because it would be her first time, even though she desperately wanted her first time to be with Lee, the fear still remained. She wanted **_him_** to make the first move, but he never did. Either because he was shy, not ready, or thought **_she_** wasn't ready.

She took a deep breath, the desire to have him taking over all her senses. She turned to face Lee and noticed that the poor boy had somehow fallen asleep during her brief thinking session. That was okay. She had a creative way of waking him up. She slowly turned her body around and carefully placed him on the soft patch of grass. Lee stirred a bit but continued to snore. Sakura made sure not to wake him just yet as she crawled on top of him and position herself carefully over his form.

She rubbed her right hand up and down the side of his face, gently caressing it thoughtfully. He peeked opened an eye at her and blinked in surprise, finding himself laying down rather than being held up by a tree.

"Sa-Sakura?" He stammered, temporarily forgetting to add the '-chan' at the end of her name.

"Shhh..." She whispered, feeling oddly bold. Usually, she wouldn't be doing something like this, but considering that it was Lee she was with, she really didn't mind it. She continued to run her hand across his face and over his muscular arms, feeling him tense before relaxing. He was wearing a black sleeveless turtleneck along with a pair of black jeans, something very different from his normal attire of that green spandex he's always wearing; thankfully too. It'll make everything a whole lot easier with what she has planned for tonight.. "I want you...to show me how much you love me..." She whispered, almost fearfully.

Lee eyes widen at what she was suggesting. Could she possibly mean...what he thought she meant? Sakura, his beautiful flower, wanted to commence in the most beautiful ceremony known to lovers with him? He wasn't sure how to respond. "Sakura-chan?"

Sakura smiled nervously at him, wondering if maybe she was coming on too strong. She leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek, softly trailing petals of kisses across his jawline and then resting on his lips. Lee, overcoming his shock, passionately kissed her back.

Sakura moaned inside of his mouth as he gently turned her over onto her back so he was on top of her, never once breaking the kiss. Once the kiss ended, both teenagers were breathless. Lee rubbed his forehead against her's and smiled. "Sakura-chan, I love you so much, I always have..." He whispered against her lips, his heart pouring out his love.

She smiled up at him, kissed him on the lips, and whispered; "I love you, too, Lee-kun."

Lee wrapped his arms around her and turned on his side, holding her close to his heart. She could hear the rhythm of its anxious beat. It matched her's perfectly, as if they belonged together. The beat of his heart against her own calmed her in a way nothing else could. If she never believed in faith or destiny, she could consider changing her mind. Her mind went back to the present.

She wasn't sure if they should continue out here, under the stars, where **_anyone_** could just walk by and see them. That would lead to humiliation and other things they wouldn't want to explain. But the thought was really romantic, making love to the person you love under the heavens. She sighed and cuddled closer to him, entangling her legs with his.

He ran a hand through her soft pink hair. He loves her hair, so soft and beautiful, just like the person it belonged to. And her eyes. There was no other person on the planet with such amazing eyes such as hers. He could get lost in her emerald orbs forever.

He drew her closer to him and tilted her chin up for another deep kiss. Every time they kissed, the desire to have her grew stronger and stronger until he couldn't take it anymore. The drowsiness he felt earlier was long gone as the desire to become one with Sakura grew intensively, almost painfully.

Sakura was trembling with need but she, reluctantly, stopped him from going any further. They shouldn't have their first time out here where anything was possible. "Lee-kun...not here..." She whispered

Lee nodded in understanding, awkwardly standing up. He lifted Sakura up, who was as light as a feather, and ran at top speed back to the village and to his apartment, in record time. After fumbling with the keys, he opened the door and shut it, not really bothering to lock it and stumbled through the dark and into his bedroom. He carefully placed the giggling Sakura on to the bed and smiled down at her, seeing her outline in the dark. The only light source in the room came from the moon shining though the window which cast a mysterious glow around his girlfriend.

Lee blushed at the thoughts of what could happen now. Sakura took a hold of his larger hands and pulled him down on the bed next to her. They stayed like that for a moment, not taking any actions whatsoever as they held each other. Sakura's soft hand trailed up the side of Lee's arm, sending shivers down his spine.

"Lee-kun...are you...afraid?" She asked, not taking her hand from his arm.

Lee gulped, nervously. "A-afraid? Never! The youthful desire to become one with my beautiful flower grows strong!" He declared, but really, he was a bit nervous, being that he has never done anything like this before, and to do it **_before_** marriage. He knew that premarital sex was wrong, but some men acted on impulse alone. And the desire to have her **_was_** strong...but it wasn't right...or was it? There was no right or wrong way when it came to love, was there?

Sakura smiled at him. "It's okay, Lee...I love you, there's nothing to worry about." She said, kissing him gently on the lips. The kiss started slow, something innocent, before shifting into something more, filled with love and passion, want and need.

His hands gently trailed up her shirt, leaving goosebumps on her sides, causing her to giggle in the kiss. He couldn't help but smile. He found a tickle spot. He continued to trail his hands up and down her sides and she laughed out loud. She broke the kiss. "Lee!"

Lee looked at her innocently. "Yes?"

She faked a pout. "You did that on propose."

Lee secretly grinned and brought his mouth down to the nape of her neck, earning a surprise gasp from her. His lips were hot against her skin and it felt extremely good. She tilted her head to the side to give him more access to the soft area.

Sakura suddenly jerked away from him as a thought hit her like a ton of bricks. "Lee!"

Lee, startled, jumped off of her like a kicked puppy. "Sakura! Did I do something wrong? I did not mean to hurt my beautiful flower in any way! I am so very sorry!" He exclaimed, looking her over quickly for any visible injuries.

Sakura nervously laughed. "No, Lee-kun, I'm okay. I just remembered something, is all." She shifted to support her weight on her elbows as she watched him reapproach the bed.

Lee nervously took a seat next to her. "What is that, Sakura-chan?"

Sakura blushed. She didn't want to go through this, but it was essential, if they didn't want unexpecting results because of this night. "Um, Lee..." She started, trailing off for a moment. "Um, do you...do you..." She shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. "Do you have any, you know..." She gestured in the air with her right hand. "...protection?" She finally said, her blush deepening.

Lee blinked and frown. "Oh, um, no. I was not planning on this. Oh, Sakura-chan! I am so sorry!" He threw his arms over her shoulders and brought her into a tight hug. "I have failed you as a respectable boyfriend and as a man!"

Sakura couldn't help but laugh at Lee's overexaggerating antics. "Lee, you haven't failed me." She pulled back from him. Was she really sure about this? Was this what they really wanted? They have their whole lives ahead of them, after all...

She then remembered something in her pocket. She pulled it out to reveal a tiny red condom. "It's a good thing I borrowed some from Ino the other day..."

Lee blinked in surprise. "Sakura-chan, were you planning on this?" What were the odds that she coincidentally came 'prepared'?

She giggled. "Well, it was going to happen sooner or later, I just preferred sooner rather than later." And with that, she sat the condom aside and showered Lee with many kisses, not allowing him time to say anything

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_**AN**: Okay, first of all...I wasn't expecting **that**...Well, there you have it. I had to write this chapter three times before I got it to my liking, and I must say; third time's the charm. This chapter was **really** hard to write (it took me **weeks**_ _just to get _**_that_**_ far...). XD I decided to throw caution to the wind and just freakin' __**end** it. I hope everyone liked it so far. This will probably be one of my most serious fics yet...since I'm a humor addict, I'm trying not to throw too much humor into this 'suppose' drama filled story. But, bah, that kinda scared me...Sorry for OOC-ness, but I guess love makes you kinda OOC, huh?_

_If you enjoyed it, please tell me. If not, oh well. I don't mind. Just **don't **flame. If you don't like it, that's fine, you can read something else. _

_**Next Chapter Teaser**_: _Lee grinned at her as he held both hands over her eyes, leading her away from her home. It was midday when he came to get her, telling her that he wanted to show her something. She laughed and allowed him to take her wherever it was that he wanted to go, as he put both hands over her eyes. She gasped in surprise._


	2. Chapter 2: My Friends

_**The Power of Youth  
**__**By SapphireWhiteTigress**_

**Chapter II – My Friends**

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It was early morning when Sakura slowly opened the front door to her home. Peeking inside, she breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that her parents were nowhere to be seen. She fully entered the house, closing the door. It clicked shut behind her. She slowly crept past the sitting room and towards the staircase. As she was ready to ascend the stairs, the sound of coughing caught her attention. She groaned inwardly. Turning around, she forced on the brightest smile she could muster.

"Hi, Dad." She said, facing her father.

Her father raised one dark eyebrow at her. "And where have you been all night?" He asked with narrow eyes, his arms crossed menacing over his chest.

Sakura glanced at the floor to avoid her father's eyes. "I was over a friend's." She said. It wasn't entirely a lie. Sure, she was over a friend's house, but she didn't say that friend was her boyfriend.

Her father continued to glare at her. "Next time, call if you plan on staying the night over a friend's house." With that said, her father left to go to work. He was the owner of one of the best clothing shops in all of Konohagakure. Before leaving out the door, however, he gave his daughter a look she didn't quite recognize. He couldn't possibly know, could he? It was as if he was looking right trough her soul. "I'll see you after work, sweetheart." He closed the door behind him.

Sakura released the breath she wasn't aware that she was holding as slowly made her way up to her room, passing by the room of her parents. Her mother was still sound asleep, snuggled underneath a blue quilt blanket, her pink hair peeking over the top.

She continued on her way to her room, closing the door softly behind her before throwing herself on her bed. Last night has truly been the best night of her life. Magical wasn't even **_close_** to describing the way it felt. Lee was so gentle, yet firm at the same time. She covered her mouth to silence a giggle she felt threatening to burst from from her lips. Lee was so cute, with the sweat glistering off his skin, the way his face would scrunched up in concentration and determination. Oh, how she loved that look...

She rolled on her side with her hands under her ear and yawned. She really didn't get any sleep last night...The reason she was home now and not with her beloved boyfriend was because she didn't want her parents to find out that she spent the night at his house. As a matter of fact, she was hoping to make it home before her parents woke up...well, at least her father didn't gave her the third degree.

_**----------**_

A few weeks later, Sakura found herself in the bathroom frequently, emptying the contents of the previous night's meal. She groaned in annoyance, flushing the toilet as she left the bathroom, feeling even more nauseated than when she entered the small room.

She braced herself on the wall next to the open door and stumbled into her room, feeling oddly tired. She's been sick for three days now and wasn't really sure why. Perhaps it was something she ate that gave her a stomach virus? Or maybe she had the flu? Whatever it was, she hoped it'll go away soon. She didn't think she would last very long if her illness didn't let up soon. Today, she was supposed to meet Ino and some other friends for lunch.

She thought about canceling but she hadn't seen Ino in three weeks and the girl called her yesterday once she returned from a mission so they could hang out. They renewed their friendship almost two years ago, deciding that fighting over a boy wasn't really worth it. Surprisingly as it may seem, Ino got over Sasuke way before Sakura did. In fact, Ino been dating Shikamaru, on and off, for the passed two years. It was one of those relationships where they loved each other but couldn't stand one another.

_**----------**_

Later that day, Sakura walked in front of the café where she were to meet her friends. She felt much better than she did that morning, thankfully. But she was still apprehensive about eating anything, for fear that it may not stay down for too long. Walking into the café, she spotted her friends; Ino, Hinata, and Tenten, sitting at a booth in the far back. She smiled, making her way to them.

"Hey guys!" She greeted, sitting next to Tenten while Ino and Hinata sat across from them.

"Hey Sakura," They all said in unison, each one of them smiling in turn.

They ordered and started conversing, not really knowing what to talk about exactly, so they picked some random topic that most teenage girls talked about: boys.

Sakura grinned at the shy girl only known as Hinata. "Hey, Hinata, have you finally got the courage to ask Naruto out?"

Hinata blushed a deep red, as they knew she would. She willed herself not to tap her fingers, as she did when she got nervous. Though she was 16, she was still a bit shy when it came to talking about the blond she adored. " Um, n-no, not yet..."

Ino shook her head disapprovingly. "Hinata, what are you waiting for? If you don't tell him soon, you'll lose your chance forever."

Hinata clear eyes focused on the table, a thoughtful expression on her face. "I-I know, Ino-chan...b-but..."

Ino crossed her arms. "No buts, Hina'. If you love him, you gotta take him by the balls and make him listen to you and if he doesn't love you back, you can just rip out his testicles. That way, he won't be able to reproduce without you."

Hinata eyes widen at Ino's choice of words and blushed wildly as the other two girls giggled. "Ino-chan!"

Ino grinned as their food arrived and took a bite out of her salad. "It seems like simple logic to me. The only thing that makes sense, actually."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Ino-pig," She started, using the nickname that they never grew out of, not as an insult but as a playful jab. "Nothing makes sense to you."

Ino glared at her friend, pointing her fork at her. "Tell me, **_forehead-girl_**, what's up with you and Lee?"

Sakura blushed, looking away. "What do you mean?"

The blond haired girl laughed. "Sakura, I've been away for three weeks and now that I'm back, I'm pretty sure **_something_** must've happened between you two. Your first year anniversary was like, two weeks ago, right?"

Sakura nodded, remembering their time together that day. "Yeah..." She said, her voice trailing off as her mind drifted back to that day.

"Looks like she's reminiscing. It must have been good." Tenten said with a smirk on her face.

Sakura laughed. "You have no idea..."

_**----------**_

_Lee grinned at her as he held both hands over her eyes, leading her away from her home. It was midday when he came to get her, telling her that he wanted to show her something. She laughed and allowed him to take her wherever it was that he wanted to go, as he put both hands over her eyes. She gasped in surprise._

"_Lee-kun! Where are we going?" She laughed, loving the way his hands felt on her skin._

_Lee leaned down, his lips inches away from her ear. "It is a surprise," He said happily. She could tell he was containing himself from jumping around in excitement. She shivered in delight at the way his hot breath hit that sensitive spot on her earlobe._

"_Okay..." She said, a little hesitant, but curious at the same time. What does he have planned for her? She couldn't wait to see his 'surprise' and knowing him, she'll absolutely love it._

_He placed a blindfold over her eyes so that guiding her would be easier. He could tell that she was a little nervous with being blindfolded and he squeezed her shoulder in reassurance. "Trust me, Sakura-chan." He said, giving her his good guy pose, knowing that she couldn't see it. Suddenly, she was lifted up, bridal-style, in his arms_

_She automatically wrapping her arms around his neck as he held onto her, laughing a little as she did so. She noticed that she laughed and smiled a lot more when he was around, and she could just be herself, something she was afraid to do almost a year ago. Lee made everything easier, he made everything seem better when things could get worst. He was always the light that chased away the darkness. Yeah, she knew that sounded cliché, but that was how she felt, no matter how cliché it sounded._

_He carried her for a good twenty minutes, the gentle wind blowing against them as he ran to their destination until he finally stopped. He gently placed her on the ground, not wanting to hurt her in any way. She cocked an eyebrow and smiled, anticipating the removal of the blindfold. The sounds that reached her ears were that of running water, like a river or stream, and the soft sound of birds in the distant. As he finally removed the blindfold, albeit slowly, and she opened her eyes._

_She gasped, her knees immediately going weak. It was so beautiful that her eyes could scarcely comprehend what she was seeing. She was standing on a ledge high in a mountain but that wasn't what stunned her so greatly. A thunderous waterfall was before them, the gentle mist blowing in both of the lovers' faces. Sakura smiled as she surveyed the scene, several cherry blossom trees grew around the waterfall giving the water a beautiful pinkish tint, Sakura could only marvel at how such a scene could exist, it seems as if from a fairy tale or a perfect dream. _

_"Do you like it, Sakura-chan?" Lee asked nervously._

_Sakura looked up at the awkward looking ninja and quickly embraced him, both of them sighing from the touch of the other, surrounded by the beauty of this dream. "It's wonderful beyond words..." she said hoarsely, her eyes still wandering around the scene before her, filled with unshed tears of happiness and content. "It's so hard to believe this..." She looked up into his loving eyes as he smiled down at her. "It's just so...beautiful..."_

"_But not nearly as beautiful as you," He kissed her lightly on the forehead before turning her to face the wonderful waterfall, pointing at the source of the water. "Sakura-chan, this is the only place in Konoha, probably the world, where the Lotus meets the Cherry Blossom..." Sakura turned to look and smiled, there were indeed several Sacred Lotus flowers clinging to the roots of the Cherry Blossom trees, they were yellow flowers with the pink petals of the tree. "It is as if the heavens have created this place for us and only us,"_

_Sakura nodded, her vibrant green eyes gazing soulfully into Lee's dark orbs. "It's amazing, Lee-kun...just amazing..." She shook her head. "How did you find such a place?"_

_Lee smiled. "Hard work."_

_Sakura laughed and kissed him._

_Everything was perfect._

_**----------**_

Sakura was brought back to the present as Ino rudely snapped her fingers in front of her face. "Hey forehead-girl, wake up!"

Sakura glared at Ino. "Shut up, Ino-pig. Your voice is so annoying."

Ino leaned back in her seat with a smugged look on her face. "You never did answer my question."

Sakura blinked. She actually forgot what Ino had asked her. "What question?"

Ino rolled her eyes, pushing her plate away from her, now that she was finished. "What did you and Lee do for your one year anniversary?"

Tenten grinned and sighed dreamily, placing her elbows on the table while resting her chin in her hands. "I bet it was something romantic. Lee seems like the type of guy that would go out of his way to please his girl." Tenten eyes twinkled as she looked at Sakura, slightly envious. Neji never done anything remotely nice for her...

Sakura gave her friends a look, as if searching them for something, before speaking. "Well...it was the most magical day of my life," She begin, thinking back to that day once more. "He took me to this...beautiful place. The most beautiful place in the world, it seemed. There was this magnificent waterfall surrounded by the most beautiful Cherry Blossoms and Sacred Lotuses that I have ever seen..." The other girls stared at her in amazement. It sounded too dreamlike to be true. "After marveling at the scene for a while, he had planned a romantic picnic. But before that, we went swimming in the river." She smiled wistfully, remembering exactly what happened that day. "After playing in the water," She paused, taking a bite of her forgotten salad, before continuing. "We had lunch under the Cherry Blossoms, and we watched the sunset together..." Of course, she left out the part that happened **_after_** watching the sunset...

All the girls sighed as one, imagining such a scene in their heads. "Wow, Sakura, you're so lucky." Tenten said with a small smile on her face.

Ino grinned. "I bet you're glad that you gave up on Sasuke-kun now, aren't you?"

Sakura stared at her food for a moment, feeling a wave of nausea hit her like a ton of bricks. She quickly excused herself before running towards the restroom, leaving her friends wondering about her.

Ino blinked. "Was it something I said?" She noticed Sakura's barely touched food and frowned. "She didn't even finish it." She sighed.

After a few minutes, Sakura returned, almost running into a few tables that blocked her way from her friends'. Once she was at the booth, she slouched down next to Tenten, promptly dropping her head on the table with a groan. The other girls looked at her with worried eyes.

"Sakura, are you okay?" Tenten asked, gently rubbing her back in sympathy.

Sakura shook her head, her hair swaying with the shake of her head. "No. I think I've came down with something. I've been having a hard time keeping my food down for three days now."

Ino raised an eyebrow at her best friend. "Maybe you have a stomach virus?" She suggested with a shrug of her shoulders, waving the waiter over to give them the check. "If it doesn't let up, you should probably go see Tsunade-sama."

Sakura nodded, lifting her head up. Ino than noticed that Sakura looked like hell and she wasn't shy to tell her that. "Sakura, you look like hell. I think it'll be best if you just go home for the rest of the day."

Tenten and Hinata agreed. Sakura stood up to leave, before stumbling back down. Tenten, being closest, quickly caught her before she could crash into the ground. "You know what, I think I'll walk you home." Tenten offered.

Ino shook her head. "You act like you're drunk."

"No, I'm just really dizzy and tired." Sakura said, clearing her head of all the dizziness she felt.

Ino paid the bill, and stood up to leave with them. Hinata also stood, ready to leave. "Sakura-chan, I hope you get better soon..." She said to the pink haired girl.

Sakura nodded, leaning on Tenten for support as they left the small café. They slowly walked to Sakura's house without so much as a single word being exchanged. Once they reached the house, Sakura opened the door, turning to Tenten. "Thanks, Tenten. I'll call you tomorrow, okay?"

Tenten nodded and started walking away with a wave of her hand. "Alright, later Sakura."

Sakura sighed and walked into her house, softly closing the door behind her. She walked passed her mother who was preparing dinner in the kitchen.

"Hey, honey." She said with a bright smile on her face.

"Hi mom..." Sakura said, not really in any mood to talk to her mother right now. She just felt so horrible and all she wanted to do was go to bed. She climbed the stairs to her room, opened the closed door and shut it behind her. She lowered herself to her bed and reached for the phone. She felt like calling him. He'll make her feel better, that she was sure of. He always made her fell better.

The phone only rung twice before she heard his happy voice. "_Hello_?"

"Hey Lee-kun," She said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Lee instantly sensed that something wasn't right. "_Sakura-chan, are you okay?_" He asked, growing worry for his precious person.

Sakura shrugged, aware of the fact that he couldn't see it. "I'm okay, Lee-kun...I'm just not feeling well. I wanted to talk to you."

There was a slight pause before he responded. "_Do not worry, Sakura-chan. I will be over there as soon as I can!_"

Sakura smiled, her stomach lurching angrily. "Alright. I'll see you in a few minutes than, love you."

Lee beamed from on the other side of the phone. She could tell from his voice. "_Alright, my beautiful flower! I love you!_" They hung up the phone and fifteen minutes later, Lee was there.

"Sakura, honey! Your friend's here!" Her mother shouted from down the stairs. She could hear her mother telling him which room was her's, as if this was his first time in the house, when in actuality, he's been there seven times before.

Lee slowly made his way up to his girlfriend's room, hands filled with gifts. He rapped his knuckles against her bedroom door, with a little difficulty as he held her gifts in his arms.

"Come in," He heard the voice from the other side said. He slowly nudged the door open with his foot and grinned as he entered the room. She was laying on her back with her right arm swung over her eyes and her left hand resting on her stomach.

"Sakura-chan, I brought you some soup to help you feel better." He said as he sat down on the bed next to her. Sakura lifted her arm from her eyes to see him. In his arms were some flowers, daisies, that looked to be hastily picked and a small brown teddy bear with a pink bow tie around its neck and in his other hand was some homemade soup in a container.

She sat up and took the soup he offered her. "Oh, Lee-kun, you didn't have to."

Lee waved his hand dismissively, that bright grin of his still shining brightly on his face. "Nonsense, Sakura-chan! Of course I had to. I promised to take care of you and I will keep that promise no matter what." He gave her his thumbs-up sign before placing the teddy on her bed and the flowers on her desk. "How are you feeling?" He asked, his voice was so sincere that Sakura felt like melting into a puddle.

Sakura shrugged, eating the soup he gave her. It was pretty good, except for the fact that her stomach wouldn't agree to anything lately. "I'm okay, I guess." She said, briefly looking up into his eyes.

Lee's eyes looked at her with worry and concern. He stood up reluctantly. "I wish that there was more that I can do for you, Sakura-chan..." He looked down sadly, as if this was hurting him more than it was her. She raised a questionable eyebrow at him. "I promised Gai-sensei that I would meet him in twenty minutes. But I will cancel if it meant that you would get better." He added quickly, looking at her with pleading eyes.

Sakura smiled. "It's okay, Lee-kun. Hopefully, this is a passing thing. With any luck, I'll be better by tomorrow."

Lee nodded, hesitantly turning towards the door. "Is there anything I could get you before I leave, Sakura-chan?"

Sakura shook her head, finishing up her soup slowly. She actually was pretty hungry, since her food wouldn't stay down for more than ten minutes. Hopefully, this wouldn't come back to haunt her. "No, it's alright Lee-kun. Go train with Gai-san." She said with a smile. Lee bent down to capture her lips with his. Sakura's thought at the moment was: _I'm glad I rinsed my mouth out before he came over. _After the kiss ended, Lee whispered the three words to her that made life worth living.

"I love you."

She kissed him lightly on the nose. "I love you too." He hugged her before leaving her and soon after he left, Lee's soup found it's way in the wastebasket.

_**----------**_

_**AN**: I like to give **major** thanks to my very good friend **EnduranceInTribulation**. If it weren't for him, this story wouldn't be like it is today. I am extremely grateful for his help. I'll be honest, this story wouldn't be here if it weren't for my friend. And that's the truth. I'm not going into detail about it. But, please review! I would greatly appreciate it, thank you so much and I hoped you liked it! I now dubbed this story my main priority if I get enough people who actually likes this little thing._

_**Next Chapter Teaser**: Tsunade coughed, her stunned eyes boring into Sakura's confused ones. "Alright, Sakura, I'll give it to you straight. After taking a few tests, twice; mind you, I keep coming to the same results. Sakura, you're not sick. You're pregnant,"_


	3. Chapter 3: My Life

_**The Power of Youth  
**__**By SapphireWhiteTigress**_

**Chapter III – My Life**

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Sakura silently sat outside the doctor's office, her eyes on a magazine but not really reading any of it. She sighed and looked up, the bright fluorescent lights stinging her eyes. She yawned and stretched, her eyes falling on the small black clock that was hanging on the equally sterile looking wall. Sakura sighed, she was a professional medical nin and constantly worked there but she still didn't like the Konoha hospital, it seemed so cold and unfeeling.

"Sakura-san?" A timid looking nurse with kind brown eyes entered the waiting area. The nurse almost reminded Sakura of Hinata. "Tsunade-sama's ready to see you now."

Sakura raised an eyebrow at hearing her mentor's name before following the nurse into a small doctor's room. Tsunade didn't usually give basic check-ups on her patients unless they were recovering from serious injuries. She thought nothing of it, however, when she saw Tsunade glancing down at a clipboard in her hands.

The older woman glanced up as the two entered. "Thanks, Aiko." Aiko bowed respectfully before leaving the room to give the two privacy, closing the white door behind her. Tsunade placed the clipboard on a desk before turning her attention on Sakura. She smiled. "Sakura, what seems to be the problem?"

Sakura shrugged, looking around uneasy. "I'm not sure, really. I've been feeling really sick lately. I think it could just be a stomach virus, but I want to make sure."

Tsunade nodded her head, thoroughly looking at Sakura. "Hm...alright, let's have a look." She mentioned to the small bed in the room and Sakura sat down on it. Tsunade processed to do a few tests by taking her temperature and heart rate, which caused her to frown in concentration. After preforming a few more tests, Tsunade couldn't believe what she came up with. "Sakura, I have a few questions for you."

Sakura nodded, ready to answer anything she would ask her. "Okay, Tsunade-sama."

"Hmmm...when was your last period?" Tsunade asked bluntly.

Sakura blinked, a tint of pink covering her cheeks. "Um, the middle of last month...why?"

"How about this month?"

Sakura shifted uncomfortably. "I, uh, haven't receive it this month, yet."

"Really now?" Tsunade wrote something down on the clipboard. "Have you had sexual intercourse throughout the last month?"

Sakura was growing extremely uncomfortably. "Tsunade-sama, what does this have to do with my condition?"

"A lot," Tsunade murmured before continuing. "Answer the question."

The younger girl sighed. "Yeah..." She said quietly.

Tsunade nodded, writing on the clipboard. "Okay, I'm going to do a few more tests, just to be sure." Sakura nodded, slightly confused as Tsunade started the tests over again, coming to the same results. Sakura was growing impatient.

"Tsunade-sama, is it a stomach virus or not?"

Tsunade took a deep breath and gave Sakura a skeptical look. "Well, Sakura, it isn't the stomach virus that's making you sick.." She stated, looking over her work for a third time.

Sakura cocked an eyebrow, her hands fiddling in her lap. "So, if it's not the stomach virus, what is it?"

Tsunade coughed, her stunned eyes boring into Sakura's confused ones. "Alright, Sakura, I'll give it to you straight. After taking a few tests, twice, mind you, I keep coming to the same results. Sakura, you're not sick. You're pregnant," Tsunade stated with narrow eyes. "Mind telling me how this happened?"

Sakura blinked in surprise. "Wh-what...? Pre-pregnant?" She stammered, "How...how...?" She couldn't understand it! They had done everything safely! They had used protection and everything, so how could this have happened? "But that's not possible!" She blurted out, tears brimming in the corner of her eyes.

"The facts are here, Sakura," Tsunade said, her eyes softening. "Now, do you mind telling me how this happened?"

Sakura wiped at her eyes, willing the tears away. "I...we...we were always so...ca-cautious. I don't understand..."

Tsunade nodded, sympathy deep in her blue eyes. "I'm guessing that Lee's the father?"

Sakura gasped. "Lee! What will he think?" She asked, the tears rolling freely from her eyes. "He has to fulfill his nindo and he can't do that if he's...he's...a father!" She threw her face into her hands, sobs wrecking her small body. A body that wasn't ready to bear a child. "I might have just killed his dream...Lee-kun could never forgive me! He'll hate me!" Sakura tried to catch her breath, but it was difficult with the force of the sobs. "What if he leaves me...what if he doesn't love me anymore...what if--" Tsunade cut her off.

"Calm down Sakura," she ordered, even through all this, Sakura was still considering Lee's feelings. Something she wouldn't even thought of doing just three years ago. "If Lee was really like that, would you really love him as much as you do? And this**_ is_** Lee we're talking about. Lee isn't one to walk away from responsibility, or you." Sakura looked up at her mentor and friend, the tears slowing down as she formed a small smile when she saw Tsunade's reassuring one. "It'll be okay."

Sakura hesitantly nodded and took a deep breath to calm down. "I'm sorry, Tsunade-sama...It's just...I...I don't know what to do. I...it's just too much. I thought we were...doing everything right. How could this have happened? I don't understand. I-I-I **_can't_** be pregnant." She said, the tears returning.

Tsunade placed a slender hand on her student's shoulder. "Nothing is one hundred percent, Sakura. Accidents do happen."

Sakura raised her head to look at Tsunade. That's what this was? An...accident? Was getting pregnant with Lee's child an accident? A mistake on their part? Was that how she should view this? She shook her head. No, having Lee's baby was no accident. Perhaps a twist of faith, but she would never, ever, call her own child an 'accident', a 'mistake' to happen. "No...it's...it's not an accident..." She took a deep breath as green eyes met blue ones. "I'll accept any and all consequences for my actions, Tsunade-sama."

Tsunade smiled, albeit sadly. She was proud that Sakura was willing to accept the challenges of being a mother brought but she was also disappointed that it came way too soon for her. Sakura was only sixteen years old, she wasn't ready for what this would entail. "Alright, Sakura."

_**----------**_

Leaving the hospital, Sakura felt disoriented, as if the world was spinning from beneath her feet. She wanted to be alone so she could think. She needed some time to herself and with the news that will no doubt change her life forever, she slowly made her way to**_ their_** sacred spot. The place of their one year anniversary, the place that held many beautiful memories for both of them, and the place where the Cherry Blossoms met the Lotus.

She knew where it was located by heart and could probably make it there with closed eyes, as they were always there together. The calm and quiet scenery helped her think and cleared her mind of negative thoughts. As she walked into the setting, a gentle wind brushed against her face, as if it was caressing her, telling her that everything will be alright. If only she could believe that.

Walking towards the edge of the cliff that overlooked the thunderous waterfall, Sakura sat down heavily, her mind still reeling from the information she had received from Tsunade not too long ago. "How could this have happened..." she said to no one in particular. She buried her head into her arms and sat there, listening to the soothing sounds of the water.

Many thoughts ran through her mind. What should she do now? Should she keep it or have an abortion? The thought of abortion sounded extremely wrong in her mind. She was carrying life inside of her and an abortion would destroy that life. She didn't want that to happen, to think of what could've been if she had that child, to regret that decision everyday of her life. Lee wouldn't approve of such a thing, but what does she think about it? No, abortion was certainly not an option.

And then, there was adoption. Giving birth to your baby and than setting them up for adoption? Sakura wouldn't be able to part with her child, not like that, not before he or she got to know their parents. Suddenly, a frightening thought hit her: **_HER_** parents!

What would they think? What would they do? How would they react to the news that their only daughter, their only **_16_** year old daughter, was pregnant? The thought scared her more than the fact that she was pregnant, the visit to the hospital still fresh in her own mind. A new wave of tears fought their way to the suffice.

"I thought I would find you here," a familiar and soft voice said from behind her. Sakura gasped and turned around, almost slipping off the cliff and would have too, if Lee wasn't quick. In a flash, Lee was by her side, holding her up. "I am so sorry, Sakura-chan! I did not mean to frighten you!"

Sakura tried to calm her racing heart, but to no avail. Here he was, with her, at their sacred place that only they knew about. Should she tell him now or...?

"Sakura-chan, are you okay?" Lee asked, noticing that something looked to be bothering her. Sakura took his hand and lead him down the path that they knew too well that would take them directly next to the beautiful cherry blossoms, sacred lotus and roaring waterfall. "...Sakura-chan?"

She sighed, turning her shimmering emerald eyes on her. "It's really beautiful here...how much of this will change?"

Lee looked at her with confusion filled in his black eyes. "Sakura-chan...?" Lee wasn't sure what to say to her. He wasn't even sure what was wrong with her, and he desperately wanted to find out. "What is wrong? Please tell me..."

Sakura turned away, afraid to face him. She took a deep, shaking breath and prepared for the inevitable. "Lee-kun, no matter what happens, promise me that you'll still love me..." She whispered, her voice barely audible over the roar of the waterfall.

Lee blinked in surprise and quickly embraced her from behind, placing his chin on her pink hair and drew her tight to him, never wanting to let go. "Sakura-chan, I will forever love you, no matter what." He turned her around to him, his arms around wrapped tightly around her waist. "Please, tell me what is troubling you so much."

Her eyes searched his and she knew instantly that no matter what, he'll stay true to her. He'll never hurt her. He would never, ever as long as he live leave her all alone. She knew that the safest place in the world was right there in his arms. She wrapped her arms around his own waist and carefully placed her head on his chest. She inhale deeply, taking in his sweet scent before exhaling slowly. She muttered something against his chest.

Lee was confused even more. "What was that, Sakura-chan?"

This time it was a little louder, but still barely above a whisper and muffed against his chest, but he heard the words loud and clear as if it was a shout in his ear. "..._I'm pregnant..._" Lee, in his shock, stumbled backwards and the next thing they both knew was that they were now drenched in water.

Lee stuttered, spitting water out of his lungs and stared wide eyed at his girlfriend who was now laying on top of him in the water. "Sa-Sakura-chan..." He didn't know what to say. Instead of saying anything, he quickly helped her from the water. "I am so sorry, Sakura-chan! I-I...how could I have done this to you?" He asked, his voice filled with so much emotion.

Sakura smiled at him and shook her head, water flying everywhere. "No, Lee-kun, it's not your fault. It isn't anyone's fault."

Lee wasn't sure how to react. Part of him wanted to be ecstatic to have help create a new life with his Sakura-chan, his beautiful angel, while the other part wanted to scold himself for being so careless. He knew he was too young to raise a child. And not only that...would he be a good father? That scared him. He never had a true father before in his life, say for Gai-sensei, and he wanted to be there for his child. He looked at the young woman before him and enfold her in his arms, holding her tightly, but not tight enough to hurt her. Tears were slowly dropping from his eyes. "Sakura-chan...I love you and I will do everything in my power to protect you and our child, until the day I die. That is my ninja vow to you."

Sakura snuggled into him, enjoying the comfort he brought and ignoring the fact that they both were soak. "Thank you Lee, for not...turning away..."

Lee smiled down at her. "I would never, ever leave you, Sakura-chan. Never."

She smiled. She knew now that Lee would be there for her. He promised her. And he never back out on a promise.

"Can we stay like this for a while longer?" She asked. She wished that they could just be there forever.

Lee smiled, ignoring the chill he got when the wind brushed against his dampened clothing. "Of course, Sakura-chan. I would do anything for you."

_**----------**_

For one whole month, they kept Sakura's pregnancy a secret, for fear of what the others may think. They knew that they couldn't keep it a secret for long as Sakura would eventually start showing signs of her pregnancy. Sakura hated keeping a secret like this from her family and friends, but she wasn't ready to tell them, especially her father and mother.

She was sitting on a stool at Ichiraku with Lee, Naruto, and Ino when the latter decided to bring up something obviously touché. "Sakura, you need a diet. You're getting fat." Ino smirked, poking at Sakura's slightly larger stomach, that was barely noticeable, but of course, Ino **_had_** to notice it.

Sakura glared at her, smacking her hand away from her stomach, a slight blush covering her cheeks. "Shut up, Ino-**_pig_**."

Ino laughed. "Oh, come on. How much weight have you gain, anyway? If you keep eating, you'll become as big as a house." Ino glanced at the bowls in front of the pink haired girl. "That's your third bowl, right?"

Sakura said nothing as she finished her lunch, trying to ignore the stares Naruto was casting her way. "Hey, hey! You do look a little larger than usual." Ah, Naruto, never knowing what to say just earned himself a well deserved punch as Sakura fist collided with his cheek.

"Shut up, Naruto!" Sakura fumed, her eyes glaring a dangerous red.

Lee sweatdropped. "Uh, Sakura-chan..."

Naruto picked himself up off the ground, rubbing his sore cheek. "Ow, man, you didn't have to hit me so hard, Sakura-chan..."

Sakura crossed her arms and turned her head away. "Never question a woman's weight, Naruto."

Naruto shrugged and got back on his seat. "Man, I don't know how you do it, Thick-brows."

Ino continued to laugh. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were pregnant, forehead-girl!" Sakura and Lee's eyes slightly widen and both turned away awkwardly, hoping that Ino wouldn't notice. But, of course, she did and she promptly stopped laughing. "No way..." she said, glancing at the two in bewilderment.

This caught Naruto's attention. "Wait, wait, what? Huh?" He quickly saw the looks on his two friends' faces and his jaw dropped. "Sakura-chan...you...and **_him_**?" he said, his voice incredulous and eye slightly twitching. "How did it happen?" Naruto froze in horror. "Nevermind, I _**don't**_ want to know," he said and turning away to hid the look of hurt that was evident on his face. For years he has had a crush on his pink haired teammate. Sure, he knew that she was dating Lee, but he didn't think it'll last **_this_** long and...that **_that_** would happen...he felt heartbroken.

Ino was speechless. "You're...you...really?" She couldn't take her shock eyes off of her best friend. "Wow. I never thought that you, Sakura...and **_Lee_**..."

Sakura started to feel awkward, as well as Lee, as the two of them tried their best to avoid their friends' gazes. She was hoping she didn't have to tell them so soon. Oh well, it **_was_ **in inevitable.

Naruto stood up, ready to leave. "Um, y-yeah...I'm gonna go now..." He said, forcing a fake smile on his face, but the hurt he felt was evident in his deep blue eyes. "See you later, Sakura-chan., Lee, Ino..." With that, Naruto left the three at the ramen stand.

Ino turned to the two lovers, the shock wearing off just a bit. "I had no idea that you two were so...intimate..." Ino glanced at Lee before leaning closer to Sakura and covering a hand to the side of her mouth whispering to her. "So, was he good?"

Sakura eyes widen and her cheeks went a deep red. "Ino!"

Ino drew back with a shrug of her shoulders. "I was only asking."

Sakura sighed. "Ino, please don't tell anyone."

The blond girl raised an eyebrow. "Okay, I won't. But, you do know that they're gonna find out anyway and—Hey! Shikamaru!" Ino quickly shouted as she spotted her boyfriend walking with the third member of their three man cell.

Sakura slammed her head gently on the counter with a groan as Lee waved happily to the two making them way to them. Shikamaru gave one lazy wave while Chouji munched happily on his chips.

"Hey guys," Chouji greeted, chip crumbs flying from his mouth barely missing his friends.

Ino gave him a disapproving look before turning to Shikamaru. "Hey, Shika-kun, I'm glad you're here," Sakura gave Ino a warning glare, but she ignored it. "About tonight, I don't think I'll be able to make it." Sakura visibly relaxed at Ino's words. At least she wasn't going to tell them yet.

Shikamaru shrugged and stood off to the side just as Ino, Sakura, and Lee got up from their seats. "You're such a troublesome woman, always changing your mind."

His girlfriend glared threatening at him. "You want to say that again, **_Shika-kun_**?"

Shikamaru gulped. "Ah, it'll be too troublesome to repeat myself..."

"Everything is so 'troublesome' with you!" Ino shouted as they walked down the busy streets of Konoha. Thankfully for Lee and Sakura, they decided to let team 10 be on their way. Ino turned back around to Sakura. "Sakura, I'll be by your house, later, okay? See ya!" And the three disappeared from view leaving the two awkward teenagers alone.

Lee smiled sheepishly at her. "Would you like me to walk you home, Sakura-chan?"

Sakura nodded as the two silently made their way to her house, a lot on her mind. It has been one whole month since she found out that she was carrying Lee's child. Keeping a secret like this wasn't easy and she almost came close, twice, to telling her parents. She unconsciously placed a hand on her slightly rounder stomach. Lee noticed and smiled, lost in his own thoughts on the situation.

He was ecstatic and frighten at the same time. He viewed Sakura's pregnancy as a blessing rather than a curse and was slightly aware of the fact that he was only seventeen and a soon-to-be father. After finding out that his Sakura, his above all precious person, was pregnant with his baby, he refused to let her go, even for a moment. If something were to happen to either of them, he wouldn't know how to live anymore. Lee's eyes drifted to his girlfriend as he took her small hand in his, giving her a reassuring smile.

She looked up and knew that everything was going to be okay. Why shouldn't everything be okay? After all, she had her protector by her side and he'll always be there for them. Always.

_**----------**_

_**AN**: Sentimental, I am. Sappy, I am. Dramatic, maybe not as much. What did you think of...chapter three? It just gets better and better, doesn't it? Sorry if Naruto, Ino, Shika, and Chouji (maybe not Chouji) seemed a bit out of character, that's why I tried giving them few lines. -**smiles shamefully**- Yes, and I also like to thank my bestest friend in the whole wide world. You all know who he is. Please review! I'd appreciate it so much!_

_**Next Chapter Teaser**: "Mr. and Mrs. Haruno, I really love your daughter and I would do everything in my power to protect her from any and everything. I would never hurt her..." He took a deep breath, shifting his eyes to the girl he loves and back to her parents once more. This is it...there's no turning back..._


	4. Chapter 4: My Parents

_**Disclaimer**: As said in chapter one. Nothing has changed since than._

_**AN**: This is just a little side note: Writing this story is so fun. I enjoy it and I really hope that everyone enjoys reading it. Yes, I know, third name change. This time, it **will** stick. That's a promise! **-thumbs-up; teeth: Ping!-**_ _The story can only get better from here on out...And look! Cute little chapter titles now! Oh, how I feed off of clichés..._

_**----------**_

_**The Power of Youth  
**__**By SapphireWhiteTigress**_

**Chapter IV – My Parents**

_**----------**_

Two days later, Sakura was pacing in front of the mirror in her room, occasionally glancing over at it and taking in her reflection. She sighed and sat on her bed restlessly. "Mom.. Dad... I have something to tell you..." she started again, "I..." Sakura sighed and stopped, burying her face in her hands "How do I tell them.." she said softly. She had no idea how to tell her parents that she was pregnant, she wasn't even sure how to broach the subject.

Sakura sighed again. She suddenly turned, her attention driven to a tapping on her window. "Stupid branch..." she said, walking over to clear the wayward branch from her window. As she opened the window she blinked in surprise, because there below her window was Lee. Sakura ducked, dodging the rock that Lee was using to rap on her window with. "Lee-kun?" she asked in confusion,

Lee smiled up at her, his round eyes filled with compassion, "Sakura-chan! Do you mind if I come up?"

Sakura blinked, smoothing her wrinkled shirt with her hands, "Um.. okay..." Before she could leave her room to open the front door, Lee was already there. He had just jumped through the window...the second floor window. Sakura blinked. "Okay, that's good too..."

Lee smiled at her sheepishly. "I was worried and I wanted to see you. You did not answer your phone when I had called."

Sakura glanced over to her phone and sighed. She forgot to give it a new battery. "Sorry, Lee-kun..." She took a seat on her bed while Lee stood in front of her. "I've been doing some thinking," she started.

Lee gulped, a little concerned. "Thinking, Sakura-chan?"

She nodded. "I can't keep this a secret from my parents forever, but I have no idea how I should tell them." She fell back on her bed, her arms stretched out. Lee took a seat next to her, the bed shifting under his weight and the teddy bear he's gotten her rested against him. "I'm afraid, Lee-kun. What if they hate me or worst! What if they disown me as their daughter?" She sat up and faced Lee, her eyes shimmering with tears.

Lee immediately took her in his strong arms and held her to him, soothing her with his gentle and kind words. "Do not worry, Sakura-chan. Your parents would never abandon you. They love you too much to do that. And whatever happens, I will always be here for you." He pulled her away to look into her watery green eyes. "Would you like me to tell them for you?" He offered, after all, this was entirely his fault. If he hadn't been so careless she wouldn't have to go through this pain. He hated himself for what he did to her and he would die a thousand times if he could take that pain away.

Sakura looked at him with wide frightened eyes. She couldn't let Lee do that! Her father would surely kill him! She frantically shook her head. "No Lee-kun, you don't have to do that. My father-"

Lee raised a hand to cut her off politely. "Sakura-chan, as it is my responsibility," he said sternly, "I would like to discuss it with your parents for you. It is my duty to protect you Sakura-chan and I will protect you from everything...including the wrath of your parents." As Lee said that, a mentor imagine formed in his head and it made him shudder. Was he really too young to die?

"Lee-kun...you shouldn't..." Sakura began.

Lee shook his head firmly. "I will not allow you to endure anymore pain and suffering, even if they are your parents. I will simply explain to them that I love you and that I will do everything to the best of my ability to support you and our child."

Sakura was speechless. Was Lee willing to do that for her? She knew how her father could be. He wasn't exactly the type to just let it go because they were in love. He was extremely scary when he was angry and seeing that anger was rare to her. He was never abusive and would never lay a finger on her, but he could be verbally destructive and that alone scared her.

Lee gave her a thumbs-up to bring her mind out of the slums. "No need to worry, Sakura-chan, everything will be alright! I promise you!"

Sakura was still apprehensive, but went along with it. "O-Okay...I, when should we...?" She let the question hang in the air between them.

Lee nervously smiled. "Whenever you are ready, Sakura-chan, I will be there."

She nodded and turned to her closed door. "I don't know, I want to just get this over with. How should we tell them...?"

Lee thought for a moment. "Leave that up to me." He started towards her bedroom door, Sakura following slowly behind him. He paused with his hand only inches away from the doorknob and turned his eyes to her. "Are you ready, Sakura-chan?"

She nodded, although she wasn't entirely sure if she could go through this. "I...guess so..."

He gave a curt nod before turning the knob and walked out into the hall. Sakura pointed down the stairs to tell him that was where her parents were. As quietly as they could, they made their way down there, their hearts threatening to escape the safety of their ribcage.

They found her parents in the kitchen, her mother happily humming a tune while cooking dinner as her father sat at the table reading **_The Konoha Times_**. They took a deep breath, grabbed tightly onto each other's hand and prepared for the worst as they walked into the quiet room. It was the calm before the storm.

She glanced nervously at her parents, who haven't noticed her yet, and to Lee who squeezed her hand in encouragement. She turned her head back to her parents and cleared her throat. "Um, Mom...Dad..." She said to get their attention.

Almost simultaneously, both parents were staring directly at her and her father's eyebrows immediately shot up at the sight of the familiar boy that stood next to his daughter.

Sakura felt like shrinking and hiding behind Lee, but she forced herself to maintain her composure in the presence of her parents. This is something she must do and cowering behind Lee wasn't going to prove or solve anything. Before she could say anything, however, Lee beat her to the punch.

"Um...Mr. and Mrs. Haruno...there is something...we would like to...tell you..." Lee began, trying not to fidget. The glare Sakura's father was shooting at him made his blood run cold. Were they **_really_** doing the right thing by telling her parents this? Of course they are, he berated himself. If her parents didn't know until after the baby was born, then surely they'll be a devastating price to pay.

"...How'd the hell you get in here?" He growled, looking from the boy to his daughter. He doesn't remember hearing the front door opening or anyone knocking on it for that matter.

Sakura's mother, on the other hand only smiled sweetly at the two. "Oh, hello Sakura dear, hello Lee sweetie. What brings you here?"

Both Lee and Sakura were glad that Sakura's mother brought her husband away from the topic of how Lee actually came into their home.

Lee took a deep breath, not sure of what might happen if they were to tell them the news. He already held some fear for Sakura's father. He wasn't exactly a force to be reckon with, especially being a man of 6'3 with piecing brown eyes and a temper that would rival a dangerously active volcano and he does not want to be on the receiving end of that. But, whatever happens, he deserves it for he's the one to have brought such a faith on the both of them and Sakura did not deserve it.

"Mr. and Mrs. Haruno, I really love your daughter and I would do everything in my power to protect her from any and everything. I would never hurt her..." He took a deep breath, shifting his eyes to the girl he loves and back to her parents once more. This is it...there's no turning back...now how was he going to break it to them again? This is bad. This is really bad. He wasn't going to live through this. But as soon as he opened his mouth, it was Sakura's turn to beat him.

"Mom, Dad..." She started hesitantly, her hand clasped tightly within Lee's. "I'm..." Her voice faltered. "I'm..." She stalled again.

Her father grew frustrated and placed the newspaper that he was reading on the table. "What is it, Sakura?"

Her mother silently gasped and quickly stirred the pot that was over the fire. "Oh no, I might've just ruined dinner..." She murmured to herself while turning the fire off. Sighing, she turned her attention back to her daughter and her future son-in-law (in her mind; she loves Lee so much, he's just so sweet).

Sakura rolled her eyes at her mother's antics and tried again. There was no other way but to be blunt with it. "I'm pregnant." She finally said it. It took all of her willpower not to run into Lee's arms so that he could protect her from the storm that was sure to come.

An unnerving silence filled the small kitchen and after a few awkward moments, Sakura's father stood up from his seat so fast that the chair he was sitting in clattered to the floor, scaring the two teenagers from their thoughts. The expression on his face gave them even more of a fright and they started to wonder if it was possible to take back the words that they had just uttered.

His eyes were cold and dark as the blackest stone, glaring at them as if daring them to breathe. And he probably was daring them. "Explain," He said in a clipped tone, his voice as emotionless as his face, "**_now_**."

Both Sakura and Lee tried not to cower under his terrifying gaze. Sakura's father wasn't a man to talk to while angry. How were they going to explain this exactly? Why, oh **_why_**, did she decided it was best to tell her parents about her pregnancy? Sakura glanced at her still shock mother, her eyes as wide as a vibrant green sea, filled to the brim with bright tears. A trembling hand was held in front of her equally trembling lips. She couldn't comprehend what she had just heard. Her baby girl was no longer a baby. She was becoming a woman...

Lee gulped and found himself explaining quickly, his voice slightly high-pitched from the speed he was talking. He explained everything, how much he loved Sakura, his devotion, how it was all his fault, and how he would never ever hurt her. Once he was finished, he took a deep breath, steeling himself for the outburst that would follow.

Sakura stared at him in amazement as he finished his deep and heartfelt speech. His eyes were clenched tightly as he braced himself for whatever it was that he father was going to say or do. She apprehensively turned her green eyes on him and he stared at them both with a blank expression.

His mind was working in overdrive. He had half the mind to kill the guy for ever considering putting his hands on his daughter. He wanted to strangle him right where he stood, but in doing so would hurt his little girl. His little **_sixteen_** year old daughter. His little girl that just couldn't be pregnant. He turned on his heels, grabbed a jacket, and stormed out of the house.

Sakura and Lee stared at his retreating back and flinched as the door slammed shut. Well, that went considerably better than how they thought it would. At least nobody died. Yet. Sakura slowly approached her mother.

"Mom...?" She said cautiously.

Her mother snapped out of her thoughts as her soft eyes found those of her daughters. The shock of the announcement still fresh in her mind. She looked her daughter up and down. She couldn't believe that her daughter was pregnant. Not her baby girl. Was this just some bad dream? Would she wake up and laugh at this later?

She suddenly fainted.

Lee and Sakura blinked at each other in mild surprise. "Maybe it was too much for her?" Lee asked as he knelt down next to Sakura's mother and carefully picked her up to take her to the couch in the living room. Sakura followed behind with a sigh.

"I guess so...maybe we shouldn't have told them..." She said, looking away from her sleeping mother.

Lee shook his head and took her hands in his. "What we did was the right thing, Sakura-chan. It would have been wrong to keep it a secret from them." Sakura nodded, sadly looking at her mother then towards the closed door her father stormed out of. Lee noticed her distress look and smiled. "Do not worry, Sakura-chan! Your father will be fine."

She shrugged. "I hope he doesn't decide to kill somebody."

Lee's smile slightly faltered at that, but he manage to maintain it. He just hope her father didn't decide to come back and take his anger out one him. But if he did, he'll take it like the ninja that he is. He wouldn't fight Sakura's father, though. Whatever happens, he deserves it.

_**----------**_

Sakura's father, Haruno Matsou, angrily walked down the streets of Konoha, lost in his own thoughts. People who knew the man quickly dodged his path and people who didn't were briskly shoved out of his way. He had a lot to think about and a few drinks to buy. He walked into one of the rare bars Konoha has and slumped down on a barstool, waving his hand carelessly to the bartender to signal that he wanted to order.

The bartender walked over to him and poured the man some sakè. Matsou quickly downed it in one gulped and quickly ordered another. After about three shots, he started to get a little tipsy. As he was about to order a fourth, a slightly familiar and unfamiliar voice entered the range of his hearing.

"Ah-ha! Matsou, is that you, my friend?" Matsou turned around to see the trainer of that boy. The boy who got his daughter pregnant. He wasn't really familiar with the guy, except for the fact he has met him once since that boy started dating his daughter.

"Whaddaya want?" Matsou drawn out and turned back around to the counter.

Gai, with the brightest grin on his face, took a seat next to him. "How are you this fine day, Matsou? Allow me to buy you another drink!" Gai mentioned to the bartender and ordered two bottles of sakè. The bartender placed the bottles in front of them. "Drink up, my friend!" He shouted as he brought his own bottle to his lips and drunk.

Matsou stared at the bottle of sakè that Gai has just brought him, not exactly seeing it but looking right through it. He grumbled under his breath about something that Gai was blissfully unaware of. He lifted it slowly to his lips and grimaced as the burning liquid slid down his throat.

After drinking a bit, Gai asked, "So, how is your daughter Matsou? Is my Lee treating her well?" Unfortunately for Gai, that was the wrong thing to say.

Matsou stood up so fast that he spilled his bottle of sakè all across the counter top and knocked over the barstool he was sitting on. He glared dangerously at Gai who stared up at him. "You...you..."

Gai blinked. "Matsou? Are you feeling alright, my old friend?"

Just then, Matsou fist lashed out and struck Gai's jaw, bruising his knuckles and slightly reddening the other man's cheek. Gai, being the strong ninja that he is and has been through far worst treatment, knew how to take a punch and only stumbled back a bit in shock.

Gai rubbed the sore spot on his cheek. "That was very unyouthful!Why did you hit me?"

Matsou growled in annoyance at not hurting the man like he had intended to do. "Your...stupid kid got my baby...**_pregnant_**!" He roared infuriated.

"What!" Gai shouted incredulous as he looked at the man who tried to punch him again. He grabbed his fist before it made contact with his face. "Impossible! My Lee would never do such a thing in his prime of youth!"

Matsou growled and almost fell into Gai. "When I get my hands on him..." He trailed off as he snatched his fist from Gai's hand and left the bar in a huff. Gai was stunned in silence.

Kakashi, who was sitting at the back of the bar, calmly put his book away and walked over to Gai. He just heard everything that was exchanged between the two men. As he approached Gai, he drew his fist back lazily and punched Gai square in the face. Gai flew into a wall.

Gai shakily stood up and rubbed his now aching head. "Everyone is so unyouthful today..." he muttered as Kakashi walked away without so much of a word. Needless to say, he wasn't sure what **_he_** had done wrong...maybe a good youthful talking to Lee would clear things up. Gai suddenly froze and stood up as he watched Kakashi leave the bar. "Does this mean the score is now 68-68!" He yelled. Kakashi didn't even spare him a glance.

_**----------**_

_**AN**: Oh, gee, everyone's slowly finding out. Soon, the whole of Konoha will know about Sakura and Lee's condition. Will they be against them or will they help support them? Will Lee and Sakura survive the outcome? And **what** will Sakura's father do to them when he gets back! All this and more may **not** be answered next chapter, but still stay tune! Reviews help build my confidence and I need a lot of confidence to continue. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed. This story would not be here if it weren't for you guys._

_**Special Thanks to EnduranceInTribulation for beta-ing and putting up with me when I was stuck. Kami-sama only knows how often that happened.**_

_**Next Chapter Teaser**: She gently brushed a hand against his cheek and leaned in closer to his face, their lips only a breath apart. She held so much love in her gaze that Lee was momentarily taken aback. Her eyes lowered down to his lips before rising back to meet his soft black eyes. "...If I don't...?_"


	5. Chapter 5: My Proposal

_**Disclaimer**: I don't own Naruto, as I said in the first chapter. Nothing will ever change that._

_**AN**: Wow, 40+ reviews! And you know what THAT means? Another update! Thanks EVERYONE for their wonderful reviews! I wasn't going to post this until the 30th...but, what the hey, right? SURPRISE! Enjoy the fic..._

_PS: I kinda forgot to mention that not only is this romance and drama, it's also humor (small doses to keep it flowing). _

_**----------**_

_**The Power of Youth  
**__**By SapphireWhiteTigress**_

**Chapter V – My Proposal**

_**----------**_

A few hours later, the sun was just setting in Konoha as Matsou, Sakura's father, made his way back to his house. He has done a lot of thinking about what happened just a few hours ago. He was still shocked over the news of his daughter's...pregnancy. Never had he thought that his Sakura could get pregnant. Or, at least, not so soon in her young life. He was NOT ready to become a grandfather at only 42.

He returned home at a little after nine to find his wife sleeping peacefully on the living room sofa, a small trickle of drool hanging off the side of her mouth. He was contemplating rather to leave her there or not but decided that it would be best on her back to take her to their room. He made his way over to the couch, thankful that he hadn't had enough alcohol to be outrageously drunk and the buzz he had earlier was slightly wearing off. He bent down, scooped his loving wife into his strong arms, and made his way up the stairs. Once he reached the top, he walked passed his daughter's slightly ajar door and peeked in. She wasn't there. He cursed under his breath and walked into his own room, gently lying his wife on the soft mattress as he pulled back the covers. He tucked her in, went to his side of the bed, and sat down heavily with his head in his hand.

Everything just seemed so surreal, that this was actually one horrible nightmare that he needed to wake from desperately. He groaned quietly into his hand as he suddenly had a bolt of pain shot through his skull. The bed shifted behind him as his wife started to stir.

"Huh...? What...happened?" She asked, looking around blurringly. She turned to the back of her husband and frowned. "Please tell me that that was only a dream..." She said as she sat up to run a hand through her long pinkish hair.

She heard him sigh. "I wish I could, Miki." He said.

She was quiet for a moment before laying back down. "What are we going to do, dear?"

He shrugged. "There's nothing we can do."

_**----------**_

In the darken room, as the moonlight beamed in through the window as the only light source, Lee rested on his soft bed with Sakura being held tightly and securely in his arms. Both were fully clothed and neither sleeping. They enjoyed the company that the other provided, just being happy and contented in the other's arms. Both of their thoughts were on the present and possible future. They weren't sure what to expect now with a child on the way that could drastically change their lives.

Lee, as gently as he could without disturbing Sakura too much, stood up. There was something he needed to do to make everything right. Sakura looked at him questionably as he walked over to a dresser. After shuffling around a drawer for a few seconds, he found what he was looking for. He took a deep breath and headed back to Sakura, sitting on the edge of the bed.

Sakura sat up and crawled over to him, draping her arms over his shoulders as her head nuzzled the nape of his neck. "Are you okay, Lee-kun?"

Lee nodded, his hand gripping the object tightly. He turned his head to face her and stood up, kneeling on the floor. Sakura leaned back on the bed in confusion at his odd behavior. He took a deep breath once more before looking up directly into the green orbs he loves so much. He took both of her hands in his, the object held tightly between their joined hands. Sakura raised an eyebrow in question at it.

Lee started to speak. "Sakura-chan," His eyes shifted down nervously before he brought them back to her face with determination. "Sakura-chan...would you...would you like to marry me?"

Sakura gasped at his offer as he removed his hands from hers to give her the object he found. Upon closer inspection in the darken room she could see that it was a small box. Lee carefully opened it to reveal an old, but beautiful, diamond ring with two emerald studs. Sakura was speechless and wasn't sure on how to respond. Marriage? At this age? Not that being pregnant was any different...

Lee fumbled with the ring and gulped. "Sakura-chan, I understand if you think it is too soon, but I would like to properly take care of you and...the baby that we have created with love together. Please, tell me that you would become my wife? I love you so much..."

As he finished, Sakura had tears streaming down her cheeks slowly. She gently brushed a hand against his cheek and leaned in closer to his face, their lips only a breath apart. She held so much love in her gaze that Lee was momentarily taken aback. Her eyes lowered down to his lips before rising back to meet his soft black eyes. "...If I don't...?"

Lee eyes slightly widen, but he didn't draw back. "If you do not..." He repeated in a low, almost fearful, tone. The thought of Sakura not becoming his wife was devastating, but if that was what she wanted, than so be it. "...Sakura-chan...if you do not wish to become my wife...I would not hold it against you. I will forever love you, no matter what..." He said softly, barely audible. She was still so close to him and she didn't once move away.

Sakura allowed a small smile to grace her lips as she leaned ever so close into him. It made her happy that whatever her choice, he would still love her. There was nothing that could ever change that. "...Yes..." She whispered before bringing their lips together for a sweet, cherished kiss.

Lee couldn't possibly be any happier than what he was at that moment. If he wasn't locked into a beautiful kiss with his even more beautiful flower, he would be running around Konoha in pure joy. Sakura agreed...she agreed to marry him. He was going to marry the one person that meant more to him than his own life. And they were going to have a family. He was going to be a father and a husband. Tears flowed from his closed his, but he didn't care because they weren't tears of sadness or despair or misery. They were tears of love, life, and joy.

He slowly stood up, without breaking the kiss, and wrapped her in his arms, pulling her to him until their bodies were pressed tight together. Their moment of blissfulness was interrupted, however, when a loud knock came from Lee's front door. Lee reluctantly broke the kiss and looked at Sakura with apologetic eyes. "I will be right back, Sakura-chan..." He whispered as he kissed her forehead before leaving to answer his door. Sakura silently watched him go and sighed, thankful that she was still kneeling on his bed, or else she would've fallen to the ground because her legs felt like jell-o.

_**----------**_

Lee slowly unbolted his door, wondering who would be visiting him at this hour of the night. As he undid the last bolt and unlocked the door, it burst open to reveal none other than Lee's sensei, Maito Gai. Gai looked frantic as he slammed his prized pupil's door shut.

"Lee! I have heard the most unyouthful news today!" He shouted.

Lee took a surprised step back and blinked up at his sensei. "Gai-sensei! What news have you heard!"

Gai took a moment to catch his breath. "You...oh, my Lee! Who could have uttered such things about you and your youthfulness! It just cannot be true!" Gai quickly drew Lee into a constricting hug, nearly cutting off his air supply.

Lee wasn't sure what to make of this as he coughed and tried desperately to relieve himself of his sensei's unrelenting grip. "Ga-Gai-sensei! Wh-what is...what is the matter?" He gasped out in short breaths.

Gai released his student, comically large tears rolling down his face like a river. "Oh, Lee! How could they say such things about you and your beautiful Sakura!"

That caught Lee's attention immediately. Did he know...? "What...things did they say, Gai-sensei?" He asked hesitantly.

Gai's eyes were instantaneously removed of all traces of tears as determination replaced them. "What I have heard cannot be true, even if Sakura's father has said it himself!" He looked Lee directly in the eyes, making the young man feel completely uncomfortable. "Lee, tell me that Sakura is indeed **_not_** pregnant!"

Lee eyes widen and he instantly looked away, avoiding his sensei's gaze. He didn't plan on telling him so soon, especially if he heard it from another source rather than himself. He didn't know what to tell the man that stood before him.

The silence stretched on for a whole minute, before Gai decided to break it. "Right Lee?" He asked nervously, frowning at his student's evasiveness.

Lee kept his gaze fixated on the ground. He was afraid of Gai-sensei's reaction. Would he look down on him as a lowly human being for getting his girlfriend pregnant before marriage? Would he no longer want to be his sensei anymore? What should he do? What **_can_** he do? He took a deep breath. He wasn't sure who this would hurt more; him or his sensei?

"...She is..." Lee softly said, bringing his eyes up to meet those of his precious person. The first person in the world to have ever treated him with kindness and who treated him as if he was his own son. Would any of that change now?

Gai was waiting for the 'not' that he was sure would come, but it never did. The short sentence was finished. He looked away from his student and heaved a heavy sigh that was different from anything Lee has ever heard come from his lips. He wasn't sure if he was disappointed, upset, angry, or all of the above. Gai finally turned to look at his very young student, as if he was seeing him for the first time. "Lee..." He started, bringing a hand to rest on Lee's right shoulder. "...I have not yet prepared you for the torturous effect that this will bring on you!"

Lee blinked in surprise, for that was **_not_** the response he was expecting. "Gai-sensei?"

Gai continued on. "Tomorrow at six o'clock, we will start your training!"

Lee became even more confused, if that was possible. Training? What happened to the yelling at him for being so careless? The 'unyouthfulness' of it all? The 'you are not old enough to father a child'? "Gai-sensei...are you not upset or angry at me for being so foolish and careless? Do you not think so little of me for fathering a child at such a young age?"

Gai's eyes grew soft with emotion as he looked at the young man he considered a son. "Oh, Lee, I would never think so little of you. You are like the son I never had, and creating such a youthful life with the one you love is not a foolish mistake! It is the love that the two of you share, remember that!" Gai grinned brightly at Lee. It was true what he had said. He just only wish that the perils this was sure to bring didn't happen to him while he was still so young and still in the springtime of his youth.

Lee couldn't help the tears that came. His sensei didn't hate him. His sensei's thoughts of him would never change. He still cared for him. How could he have thought otherwise? "Gai-sensei!" Lee cried, throwing his arms over the older man's shoulders.

"Lee!" Gai cried too, holding Lee tightly in his arms. Cue the melodramatic music, the waves, and the infamous sunrise scene.

A soft cough coming from the entrance to Lee's room broke them apart. Both Lee and Gai turned to the source of the cough to see Sakura leaning against the door frame with a raised eyebrow and her arms crossed over her chest. She was about to ask what was going on when Gai suddenly shouted something.

"Lee! Is that what I think it is!" Gai shouted as he pointed a finger at Sakura.

Both Sakura and Lee sweatdropped. "Gai-sensei...that's Sakura-chan..." Lee said slowly as his voice filled with confusion.

Gai shook his head, his finger shaking in the air. "No! Is that a ring on her finger!" Lee's eyes went to her finger and smiled when he saw the ring he gave her with his proposal on her left ring ringer. "It is, is it not!"

Sakura's eyes darted down to the ring on her finger as well. She turned her emerald eyes back to Gai and Lee, wondering where this was going.

Gai eyes refilled with those comical tears again before bringing Lee into a bone crushing hug, weeping all the while. "Oh, Lee! You are finally becoming a man and taking responsibility for your actions! And you used **_that_** ring! I couldn't be anymore happier than I am at this very, very youthful moment!"

Sakura watched the exchange in mild amusement, thinking that Lee had a few more seconds before he died from lack of oxygen. "Ga-Gai-sensei..." Lee struggled out before Gai released him again. Lee gasped for breath, breathing in the sweet air that he longed for to fill his lungs. Gai lifted a finger to wipe away a stray tear before finally leaving, saying a very exuberant goodbye, leaving the teenagers alone.

"What was that all about?" Sakura asked once Gai was sure to be gone.

Lee only smiled, happy that everything went well between him and his sensei. He rushed to Sakura and grabbed her into a tight hug, surprising her. He cried on to her shoulder. "Oh, Sakura-chan! I cannot be happier than I am at this moment! Gai-sensei has not rejected me and you agreed to marry me!" By now, he was completely sobbing, his tears soaking through the thin material of her shirt.

She awkwardly rubbed small circles on the middle of his back, trying to calm him down. She understood why he was so happy because she was just as happy, but maybe he was...overreacting? "Um, I'm happy too, Lee-kun." She gently pushed him off of her to look at his face. She was slightly confused as to why he would be crying like that, but Lee was one huge enigma that she just got tired of trying to figure out years ago. "Lee-kun, let's go to bed, okay?"

Lee nodded and allowed Sakura to gently pull him back into his room. He was thankful that she decided to stay with him tonight because he really craved for her company. Lee got on the bed and faced the ceiling, pulling Sakura against him and she rested her head on his chest. This was his own heaven on earth, just to be with her and have her in his arms. They cuddled, content at where they were, and fell into a peaceful and beautiful slumber, dreaming about the one that lied next to them.

_**----------**_

Naruto walked down the streets of Konoha dejectedly. Two days ago he found out that the girl he had a crush on since forever was not only in love with another guy, but was going to have his baby. He was hurt, upset, angry and confused. How could Sakura do such a thing to him? He had nothing against Thick-brows, in fact, he considered the older boy one of his closest friends, but it still hurts that Sakura chose that overly optimistic boy rather than himself.

Sure, he had a few flaws, but who didn't? He'll admit in an instant that he had some weird obsession with ramen. He'll also admit, though you might have to force it out of him, that he is not the strongest in the world. He knows he isn't anything close to being a genius like Sasuke or Neji or being the most brilliant guy around...but aside from all his flaws, he had a few good points about him.

One; he knew he was cute. Who didn't think he was? Apparently Sakura. Two; he knew he was the strongest in Konoha. But, than again, Konoha did lack manpower, so there weren't really much to compare to.

He sighed and stuffed his hands in his pockets with his head downcast. As he walked, and being that he wasn't looking where he was going, he came so close to colliding into another person. He sidestepped them, murmured a short reply, and went on his way.

"Na-Naruto-kun?" A soft voice questioned from behind him.

Naruto paused in his step and lifted his head up, turning it around to face the source of the voice. He had almost run into the ever so shy Hinata. He plastered on a fake smile as he saw her. "Oh, hey Hinata-chan."

Hinata blushed as Naruto noticed her. She was just returning from training to become stronger so she could impress him and wasn't expecting to see him. It was a pleasant surprise. She wasn't sure why she called out to him in the first place, but every time she saw her crush, she desperately wanted to say something to get him to acknowledge her. Tonight, however, he looked extremely distracted and almost ran into her and when he apologize, his voice sounded distant. She tapped her two index fingers together as she started to stuttered, a habit she never really grew out of, especially when she was around him. "N-Naruto-kun...ar-are you o-okay...?"

Naruto looked into her clear eyes and his smile instantly dropped. He was finding it hard to lie to such a sweet and innocent girl. He sighed and started walking, mentioning for her to walk with him. Hinata stared after him, willing herself not to faint and fell instep next to him. It was a moment before he actually replied. "No..."

Hinata looked up from the ground and blinked. It took him so long to respond that she almost forgot that she had asked him anything in the first place. Not only that, she was pretty happy to be walking side by side with him. "Oh..." She said and they once more fell into silence. She wasn't sure where they were going and she didn't really mind where they ended up.

"Sakura-chan's pregnant." Naruto suddenly said, startling Hinata once more. She looked up at him expectingly, shock in her eyes.

"Sh-sh-she is...?" Hinata knew that Naruto always liked his pink haired friend and that hurt her. She was almost afraid to ask who the father was, but she summoned up her courage and asked anyway. "Um...who...who's...?"

"Lee." Naruto answered before she could finish.

She wasn't sure if she should be relieved that Naruto **_wasn't_** the father or even more surprise that **_Lee_** was or sad that Naruto was hurting because of it. Lee didn't strike her as someone to do something like **_that_** at so young of an age. She remained quiet as they walked, lost in their own thoughts.

A few minutes later, Hinata noticed that her home was just around the corner, which meant that they just walked in a complete circle. She started tapping her fingers together and paused in her walking. Naruto stopped a few inches ahead of her and tilted his head to look over his shoulder.

"You okay, Hinata-chan?" Naruto asked, turning fully around to face her.

Hinata gave a small shy nod and opened her mouth to speak. "Ye-yes Naruto-kun. I was, um, I-I-I..." She stuttered, finding it increasingly hard to talk around him. Her cheeks flared up, her heartbeat quicken, she felt like she was going to faint. Why was she so nervous around him?

Naruto cocked an eyebrow as he waited for her to say what she wanted to say. As she continued to fiddle with her fingers, he shrugged. "It's okay, Hinata-chan. I'm fine. I should probably get back home soon so I'll see you around." Naruto gave her a backhand wave before leaving the stuttering girl by herself.

Hinata eyes dropped to the ground as she gave out a sad sigh and watched the boy she loved the most leave her, once again. Why couldn't she be brave and tell him what she wanted to tell him? Why must she always stall and stutter in his presence? She hated when she did that but it was something that just couldn't be helped. It was a habit she desperately wanted to break but couldn't. She felt alone and dejected as she walked into the place she called home. The huge house felt as lonely as she did and silently, she made it up to her room to once again cry herself to sleep.

Why didn't Naruto love her?

_**----------**_

_**AN**: Poor Hinata-chan. She's so sweet and she loves Naru-kun so much. Anyway, I know, I kinda strayed from my LeeSaku pair, but, I wanted to show how Naruto was feeling and not only that, but this is also gonna have a few other pairings. And no, Naruto isn't gonna use Hina-chan as a 'rebound'. He's not the type. Sorry if I got the two wrong, the NaruHina part was pretty hard to write (it took two days!). Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it! Please, leave a review! -- Also, I didn't mean anything about what I said in my last AN's, except that it's gonna take time to probably answer everyone's questions._

_**Standard Thank Yous to my greatest friend in the world; EIT and to everyone who reviewed! This means a whole lot to me that I have so much support to keep this little thing going and do not worry, for I will never give up on it! ...If you like this one, I have many more (not like this one) coming in the near/far future! Once again, thanks for reviewing and special thanks to EIT! You know I wouldn't be here without him. **_

_**Next Chapter Teaser**: Her face was nestled ever so sweetly on his shoulder. She took a deep intake of breath and slowly let it loose, tickling his neck. He laughed gently to himself, a soft sound in the back of his throat. If he could, he would stay this way forever. But, he had to meet Gai-sensei in– he glanced at the clock – fifteen minutes. _


	6. Chapter 6: My Training

_**Disclaimer**: How troublesome. A disclaimer. Don't own Naruto._

_**AN**: Ha. Do you know how in the anime that after a serious mission/episode/whatever they throw in a random episode (ei: Kakashi's Mask)? Well, this is that chapter (it still stays in the plot, however). Longest chapter yet, seven whole pages. Believe it! ...Eh, enjoy!_

_**----------**_

_**The Power of Youth  
**__**By SapphireWhiteTigress**_

**Chapter VI – My Training**

_**----------**_

Early the next morning, Lee woke up as the rays of sunlight fluttered into his room. He opened his round eyes and yawned, stretching. Or, he would have stretched if something wasn't holding one of his arms down. He blinked and glanced down, only to be met with a mass of pink hair. A bright smile spread across his face as he looked down upon the love of his life.

His smile broaden as he noticed the ring that rested perfectly on her ring finger. Sakura agreed to marry him. His Sakura-chan was going to become his wife. The simple thought overjoyed him and he fell in love with her all over again. He'll do everything in his power to make this relationship work and to keep her safe from any and all danger.

Her face was nestled ever so sweetly on his shoulder. She took a deep intake of breath and slowly let it loose, tickling his neck. He laughed gently to himself, a soft sound in the back of his throat. If he could, he would stay this way forever. But, he had to meet Gai-sensei in – he glanced at the clock – fifteen minutes.

He snuggled against Sakura, bringing her closer to him. Her arms automatically tighten around his waist as she sighed softly. Lee was lured back to sleep almost instantly, until he remembered what time it actually was. His eyes snapped right back open and he almost bolted upright, if it weren't for his cherry blossom angel.

He was suppose to meet Gai-sensei is fifteen minutes! He was torn between just staying in bed with Sakura for the rest of the day and going to meet his sensei. Unfortunately, he couldn't let Gai-sensei down, so he regrettably untangled himself from Sakura's warm embrace and stood up. He looked down at her and carefully tucked the blanket around her to keep her secure and warm.

Lee quickly went to the washroom, showered, brushed his teeth, fixed his hair, and got dressed into his typical training outfit. When he entered the room ten minutes later, Sakura was just waking up. She rubbed her hands tiredly over her eyes and yawned. She sat up and looked at him, her stomach lurching painfully.

"'Morning, Lee-kun." She murmured, still tired and not yet ready to meet the upcoming day.

Lee smiled at her. "Good morning to you, Sakura-chan! Did you sleep well?" He asked as he sat on the bed next to her to put on his leg warmers. He watched as she nodded her head and frowned when he noticed that she didn't look too good this morning. "Sakura-chan...are you...okay?" He asked, turning around to face her, which turned out to be a big mistake as Sakura jerked forward, thus covering him in...vomit.

Sakura gasped and Lee stared down awkwardly at his now soiled jumpsuit. Sakura covered her face in her hands in embarrassment and tried to wiped the remnants of yesterday's lunch off of her face. "Oh, Lee-kun! I'm so sorry!"

Lee chuckled nervously as he stood up. "Ah, do not worry, Sakura-chan. It was not your fault..." He went to the bathroom to quickly wash up.

Sakura still couldn't believe that she just threw up all over Lee. She groaned and got up too, following Lee into the bathroom so she could wash her face and brush her teeth. It was a good thing she had an extra toothbrush here. As she entered, Lee was frenetically trying to rid himself of the mixed food that was all over the top part of his green jumpsuit with a damped washcloth.

Sakura frowned. "I'm so sorry, Lee-kun..."

Lee looked up at the girl and smiled. "It is okay, Sakura-chan!" His eyes then switched to worry as he gazed at her. "But, how are you feeling? Are you okay? Do you still feel nauseated or faint? Maybe you should continue to rest...?"

Sakura shook her head and stood in front of the mirror in the bathroom, staring into her reflection. She looked **_horrible_**. Her hair was at odd angles, her face was a sickly white color, and small bits of leftovers hung from her chin. She wished that the floor would open up and swallow her. She groaned and gently leaned her head against the cool glass of the mirror, Lee worriedly rubbing her back.

"Sakura-chan...maybe it is wise if you..." He was unable to finish as Sakura suddenly emptied the rest of her stomach contents into the marble bowl of the sink. He cringed at the sight, pulling her hair out of her face.

Her breath came in short gasps. "I hate morning sickness..." She murmured, once again throwing up into the sink. Lee was at least glad it wasn't him she was throwing up on. Looks like training with Gai-sensei has to wait.

_**----------**_

Neji frowned in concentration, his pupil-less eyes flaring slightly. He formed several seals and focused his chakra, muttering, "Byakugan." The veins around his eyes bulged as his kekkai genkai took effect, the slightly lavender hue of his eyes disappearing. He gracefully moved into his stance and successfully dodged a kunai, his left hand brushing against the next one, deflecting it. He spun around and plucked another kunai out of the air, dropping it to the solid grass ground.

He jumped and spun sideways, avoiding another hail of the sharpen weapons. His sharp ears picked up the muttering of his sensei about his 'youthful' dodging. Neji blinked as saw the scroll unraveling, surprised that he hasn't seen that attack before. He quickly drew his chakra in and leaped, spinning around quickly, "Kaiten!" he yelled

Tenten ducked, her kunai and shuriken flying at all angles. She stood up and snatched one of her kunai out of the air, reholstering it. "Nice job, Neji." she said, wiping away the bead of sweat that formed on her forehead from their morning training.

Neji only grunted and deactivated his Byakugan. He rolled his shoulders back and smirked at the girl before him. "You did well yourself, Tenten."

Tenten blushed at the compliment, but hid it well as she turned to their sensei, his face usually blanked. "Gai-sensei?" She asked, snapping him from his thoughts.

Gai's eyes quickly return to their 'youthfulness' and he grinned. "Ah! Excellent training, my precious students! A great show of your youth! Now, we must wait for Lee to arrive!" Gai-sensei was a little worried that his never tardy pupil was an hour late.

Tenten leaned up against a tree and played with one of her kunai. Gai-sensei had told them that once Lee arrives, that they would be doing some very special training. What this training was, he wouldn't say. She just hoped it didn't involved a lot of 'youthful' yelling, hugging, tears, and sunrises. Those just...kind of freaked her out, no matter how often she has seen them.

Neji rested next to her, leaning up against the same tree, his eyes close. He, too, was curious about Gai-sensei's special training. If it was training, it was bound to be good, even if it was with Gai-sensei. He wouldn't admit it, but having Gai as a sensei wasn't nearly as bad as everyone thought it to be. The older man taught them well enough and trained them hard to become who they are today.

A few minutes later was when Lee came running up to them, short of breath. "Gai-sensei! Neji! Tenten!" He yelled once he was within a few feet of them. "I am so sorry that I am late! Please forgive me, Gai-sensei!"

Gai held up a hand to dismiss Lee's apology. "Do not worry, my precious student! But please, what has kept you from your early morning training?" He inquired.

Lee frowned in thought. "Sakura-chan got sick and I stayed until she felt well again. She is doing fine now! Her morning sickness has passed!"

Both Neji and Tenten's ears perked at that. "Morning sickness?" Tenten asked, her eyes slightly wide in surprise.

Lee blushed and looked away. He wasn't sure if he was supposed to tell his friends or not. He knew they had the right to know, but did Sakura wanted them to know so soon? It was already bad enough that Gai-sensei had to find out, but Neji and Tenten? What would they think? They were his best friends, after all, or at least he considered them two of his best friends.

Tenten took the hint and gasped. "Is Sakura pregnant!" She yelled out, causing Neji's eyes to slightly widen in shock. She remembered a little over a month ago when she had to walk Sakura home. Was that because Sakura was pregnant?

Lee scratched the back of his neck. "Yes..." He watched as Tenten nearly passed out, falling into Neji's arms. Neji looked to be in shock too.

Neji wasn't sure what to say, but thankfully he didn't have to say anything as Gai-sensei decided to step into the conversation. "My youthful students! We must continue this later, for now, we have Special Training we need to take care of!"

Lee jumped in excitement. "What kind of special training, Gai-sensei!"

Neji also nodded as he help Tenten to stand up correctly. She was still in shock over this discovery of **_Lee_** impregnating **_Sakura_**. The thought seemed almost ludicrous. How was that even **_possible_**? Oh, well, she **_knew_** how babies were created, but...sweet little innocent Lee? Turns out, Lee wasn't as innocent as she thought. _'Damn it, Lee...how could you lose your virginity before me!'_ ...Well, it couldn't be a bad thing. At least she wasn't pregnant...she felt sorry for both Lee and Sakura though. Raising a kid could be hell. ...Not that she would know.

Gai-sensei struck a pose and Neji was momentarily tempted to cover his innocent and 'youthful' eyes. When Gai-sensei struck poses like that, it scared him. It scared him beyond words.

"Today is the Special Training day!" He declared once more.

His students only stared at him. "We've already established that, Gai-sensei." Tenten said.

"What's the special training, Gai-sensei?" Lee asked again.

Gai was quiet for a moment before dropping the pose. "...Hmm...I have yet to think one up!"

All three teenagers fell to the ground in disbelief. Tenten was the first to recover and she glared at their sensei. "You mean to tell us that after all this waiting and talk about 'Special Training' that you have no idea what it is?"

Gai thought for a moment. "Hmm...Ah-ha! I have finally decided on the perfect training for you, Lee!" He turned to his most youthful student and grinned wildly at him.

Lee's eyes sparkled eagerly. "Yes, Gai-sensei?"

Gai paused for a most dramatic effect. It lasted for ten seconds. Then twenty. Then thirty, until it reached one whole minute. "I will train you in the art of baby raising!"

Once again, the three met the ground. Tenten was the first to recover again as she yelled at Gai-sensei. "Gai-sensei! What do **_you_** know about raising a baby!"

Gai's eyes dimmed a little as he thought of his past, the past that was a mystery to even Lee. It passed almost as quickly as it came however, and his eyes returned to their youthful shininess. "I may know a few things, Tenten."

This time, Neji decided to speak up. "What do you know?"

Lee was kind of embarrassed about the whole thing, after all, he was the one that was going to be a father in seven months. That thought froze in his mind. He was going to be a father. **_In SEVEN months_**. Seven short months, they were going to bring a baby into this world. A little replica of him and Sakura. Their little bundle of joy. Oh, he couldn't wait!

Gai explained to his team what he **_did_** know about babies. Truth be told, he was just as inexperience in this than they were, but he wouldn't tell them that. Nope. That would be his little secret. So, he ignored Neji's question and went straight to it. He grabbed a bag that was sitting a few feet away from them and opened it. After digging around for a few minutes, he pulled out a baby doll (this made everyone's eyes widen ever so slightly) and a few diapers. He turned around to them with a huge grin on his face.

"First, you will learn the art of CHANGING a diaper!" Gai declared as he thrust the baby doll and diapers into the air.

Tenten, Neji, and even Lee's eyes fell to the ground...in the non-literal sense, of course. "You want us to do **_what_**?" Neji asked incredulous. He was **_not_** going to be humiliated in such a way. He was the perfect prodigy of the Hyuuga clan and prodigies just **_don't_** change diapers. Remember what he said about Gai-sensei being a great sensei? He takes it all back.

Gai only continued to grin as he placed the plastic doll on a log and sat the diapers next to it. He turned to his students, giving them a thumbs-up sign with his left hand placed on his hip. "Now, Tenten! Let us see what you can do!"

Tenten blinked slowly. "...Why me? I'm not the one that's pregnant." She glanced over at Lee, who blushed. "I think Lee should go first."

Lee shook his head and held up his hands in defense. "But, Tenten! You have that maternal instinct in you that drives you to care for an infant!" Tenten was just about to threaten Lee with sharp and pointy objects when Gai interrupted them.

"Now, now, Lee! Tenten!" He cut in between them. "Perhaps Neji would like to go first?"

Neji death-glared them all and crossed his arms over his chest. He was a man with power and dignity. Hyuuga Neji was **_not_**, as he tried so desperately to emphasize earlier, the type of guy to care for a baby. He believed that that role was played by the wives. And only the wives. No way in all of Konoha was he going to change the diaper of a stupid doll.

Fifteen minutes later, Hyuuga Neji was changing the diaper of a stupid doll. "...I can't believe I'm doing this..." He muttered to himself as he applied the powder that Gai had given him earlier.

Gai grinned happily at him. "Excellent, my student! You are doing a wonderful job!"

Tenten nodded in agreement. "Yeah, Neji. Keep it up, one day, you might actually make a good housewife!"

Lee happily watched as Neji provided the tactics needed to change a baby's diaper. In his hands were his overused note pad and pencil as he quickly wrote down some basic notes.

Neji felt like an idiot. A complete and utter fool to be tricked into doing such a task. Who did they think they were? Getting him to change a stinkin' diaper! They will pay...oh yes, they will pay dearly for his humiliation.

Neji angrily folded the diaper around the baby doll's tiny waist and held the clasped in place. The only problem was that this diaper was really old fashion and required pins to keep them up. He glanced around him, looking for one. Sadly, he found none. Now, Neji being the smart guy that he is, reached one hand into his side pouch and pulled out a kunai, pinning it to the diaper and keeping it in place.

Tenten raised an eyebrow at Neji as Gai exclaimed excitedly. "What a very youthful display of creativeness Neji!" Both Lee and Tenten sweatdropped as Neji rolled his eyes and picked the baby doll up by the arm, tossing it to Lee. Gai gasped horrified and dramatically. "Neji! That is no way to treat your child!"

"Not my problem." Neji murmured as he took a seat next to Tenten on the grass. Tenten playfully poked Neji's arm and rolled her eyes.

Lee on the other hand grasped the doll tightly in his arms as his eyes widen comically and filled with tears. "Neji! How could you possibly be so mean to this precious child!"

Neji was pretty sure that both sensei and his look alike student were insane. Actually, he has known that fact for as long as he had known them, if not longer. Heck, he probably dreamed about it before he even met them. But, whatever, he just **_knew_** that they were insane.

Gai decided to move on to the next lesson of The Art of Raising a Child. "Alright, my most wonderful and youthfully youthful students, the next thing one must do to maintain a happy and healthy child is to make your child laugh!" He turned to Lee and give him his traditional thumbs up sign. "Lee, your mission is to make Neji laugh!"

Lee's jaw nearly fell to the ground as Tenten tried hard to contain her laughter. Neji, on the other hand, was anything but amused. "But, Gai-sensei! That is nearly an impossible mission!" Lee yelled in disbelief. Tenten nodded in agreement, not even bothering to contain her laughter anymore.

Gai just **_continued_** to grin. It was as if that grin was forever painted on his face. "Lee! Nothing is impossible if you put your heart and soul into it! And if you cannot get Neji to laugh in ten minutes, than you will have to run around Konoha 500 times with Neji on your back!"

Neji frowned. "Why am I always being dragged into your stupid 'training'?"

They ignored him. Lee's eyes lit up with a fire of determination as he pumped his arm into the air. "You are right, Gai-sensei! There is nothing that I cannot do! ...Except for Ninjutsu and Genjutsu...but that is besides the point! I will make Neji laugh and if I fail to do so, I will be a terrible father!" Lee immediately turned his attention to his teammate and pointed a finger at him. "I WILL defeat you, Neji!"

Neji laughed at that. It wasn't a "HAHAHA" type of laugh but a "haha, I like to see you try" type. Lee really could be an amusing person.

Lee grinned. "Yosh! I have done the impossible and got Neji to laugh in record timing!"

Everyone sweatdropped.

_**----------**_

Sakura slowly walked into the training area where she usually trained with Kakashi-sensei and Naruto. She wasn't really feeling up to any training right now, but she couldn't draw any suspicion to herself if she just didn't show up one day. As she walked into the area she could see Naruto and Kakashi warming up, but as soon as they noticed her, they immediately stopped.

Sakura awkwardly stood there looking at the two. Naruto looked to the ground to avoid her eyes while Kakashi's one visible eye scanned her. You couldn't really tell if she was pregnant just by looking at her, though her stomach was a little rounder than usual.

Sakura spread a cheesy grin across her slightly paled face as she approached them. "Hey guys!" She shouted, looking around uncomfortably. Her grin instantly disappeared. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Kakashi one eye met hers. "Are you sure you want to be training today, Sakura?"

Sakura blinked and glanced at Naruto, whose eyes still wouldn't meet hers. She turned back to her sensei. "Of course I'm sure. Why else would I be here?"

Kakashi shrugged. "Maybe you should take it easy for a while. You shouldn't be training in your condition."

Sakura's eyes widen. He knew. Kakashi-sensei **_knew_**. She glared at Naruto and threateningly advanced onto him. Naruto eyes lifted off the ground and stared at her. "Naruto, you idiot!"

Naruto back up with his hands up protectively. "What I do, Sakura-chan?"

"You told Kakashi-sensei!" She yelled, ready to punch the living daylights out of him. She let loose and her fist connected to the side of his face, sending him into a nearby tree.

Kakashi sweatdropped. "Actually, Sakura, I heard it from Gai and your father."

Sakura paused before she could beat Naruto up anymore, her mouth formed in an 'o' shape. "Oh..." She turned to Naruto and gasped. His eyes were swollen and he had a back and blue mark on his cheek, a few teeth hanging out of his mouth. "Oh! Sorry Naruto..." She laughed nervously and helped the boy up.

Naruto accepted her help. "It's...it's okay...Sakura...chan..." He said, feeling slightly dizzy and swaying on his feet.

That was when Naruto noticed something glimmering off of her finger due to the sunlight. Forgetting that she nearly killed him, he pointed at the object. "Hey, Sakura-chan, what's that on your finger?"

Sakura glanced down at the ring Lee gave her. "Oh..." She took sometime to admire the beautiful ring and smiled in thought. "Lee-kun gave it to me..." She said, looking back at Naruto.

Naruto wasn't sure what to say to that. Usually, when a guy gave a girl a ring, it meant that they were going to spend the rest of their lives together. Does that mean that Sakura was really going to marry Thick-brows? He sighed. He should've known he had no chance with Sakura ever since she started dating him. But it still hurt all the same.

Kakashi only shook his head. Today was going to be a loooong day. He thought for a brief moment if he should possibly knock some sense into Lee for doing this to Sakura, but decided that Gai would be a better choice. Something about punching Gai for no apparent reason made his day better.

**_----------_**

_**AN**: End of Chapter Six. Not my best chapter, but oh well. I like to thank everyone who reviewed, supported and motivated me to continue. Thank you so much! This story truly wouldn't be here if it weren't for all of you! Continue to review and help me grow! ...And this story, too. By the way, just in case you were wondering, I LOVE Gai-sensei. He's my favorite sensei, while Kakashi's my second favorite. _

_--Edited-- I realized I posted this chapter up a little too quick...I even forgot the Next Chapter Teaser..._

_**Next Chapter Teaser**: Miki turned to enter the sitting area and Matsou followed her, both sitting on the one couch there. Sakura soon followed after them and nervously took a seat in the armchair that was across from her parents. No one dared to speak for a solid five minutes. _


	7. Chapter 7: My Surprise

_**Disclaimer**: ...Last time I checked, I was still penniless._

_**AN**: And now, the much anticipated drama! ...Not really...**-silence- **Warning, just in case: There's a lot of yelling, a lot of crying and a lot of surprises. _

_**----------**_

_**The Power of Youth  
**__**By SapphireWhiteTigress**_

**Chapter VII – My Surprise**

_**----------**_

It was a little after seven when Sakura decided to call it a day and headed home. She tried to avoid her parents since she told that about her pregnancy, yesterday, but she couldn't keep running to Lee's house every time something went wrong. She had to confront them and take the consequences of her actions, no matter how harsh they seemed. At least, she thought bitterly, they won't kill her while she's pregnant.

Today was pretty tiring, even though Kakashi-sensei told her to take it easy. Unfortunately, she found out that her ninjutsu and genjutsu wasn't performing correctly. She shrugged that off as being a side effect of being pregnant with a ninja's baby. Also, she was sloppy, really slopping and could barely dodge one of Naruto's weakest attacks. She concluded that being pregnant sucked. A lot. Not only was there morning sickness, getting fatter, and weird food cravings, but there was also the small prospect of her ninja ability failing.

She should kill Lee later...but stopped at the thought and sighed. It wasn't entirely Lee's fault. After all, 'it takes two to tango'. And besides, **_she_** was the one to coax him in their night of passion. That thought made her face turn to an incredibly bright shade of pink. Even though their first time was more than a month ago, it was still fresh in her mind and made her blush like a little school girl.

She neared her house and paused, standing three feet away. The first floor lights were on, telling her that one or both of her parents were downstairs. She took a deep breath and released it, only to inhale and exhale four times after that. It was hard getting herself ready to face her parents, especially after what happened yesterday.

With all the willpower she could muster, she marched up to her front door, placed the key in the keyhole, and opened it once it was unlocked. Peeking inside cautiously, she noticed that no one was around. Sighing in relief, she fully entered the house, getting an odd sense of deja vu as she did so. Unfortunately, this time as she tried to creep up the stairs, her mother was the one to catch her.

"Sakura, is that you?" The voice of her mother drifted in from the kitchen and a few seconds later, her mother appeared around the corner.

Sakura groaned. "Yes, mom..."

Her mother's eyes quickly filled her tears as she wiped her hands on her soft blue apron. "Oh, Sakura!" She cried, quickly running to her daughter and pulling her into a tight hug.

Sakura was taken aback as her mother sobbed onto her shoulder. "Mom...? Are you...okay?"

In that exact moment was when the door flew open and in rushed Sakura's father. Mother and daughter drew apart to stare at the only male in the household. His eyes glazed over as he saw his daughter, but it passed as quick as it came. He solemnly stared at his pink haired princess, unsure as to what he should say to her. So many things ran through his mind at once. He was unprepared. He had no idea what to do. So, he did what he knows best and walked passed them and started to climb the stairs up to his room.

Sakura stood dumbfounded as she watched her father leave her without so much as a single word. Miki, on the other hand, was having none of it. "Matsou, we need to have a family discussion **_now_**."

Matsou cringed and paused in his ascend. When the wife talked like that to him, it was best not to argue and do as she said. He slowly placed his feet evenly on the steps and turned around. It was bound to happen sooner or later and there was no way out. He complied and walked back towards his wife and daughter, stopping only a few inches from both.

Miki turned to enter the sitting area and Matsou followed her, both sitting on the one couch there. Sakura soon followed after them and nervously took a seat in the armchair that was across from her parents. No one dared to speak for a solid five minutes.

Matsou was the first to say something. "**_Why_**?" He spat at his daughter.

Sakura flinched at the tone of her father's voice. "Why...what?" Of course, she knew what he meant when he demanded it.

He growled and was ready to stand up when the hand of his wife landed on his shoulder, stopping him. "Why did you allow that...**_boy_** to do this to you?"

Sakura glared at her father. "This isn't Lee-kun's fault, dad. It was something we both decided on. The blame is equally mine as it is his."

"You're getting an abortion." Matsou told her, his words final.

Sakura eyes widen. "What! You have no right to decide that!" Tears filled her eyes.

"I have all the right! You are my daughter and you will not dishonor my family any further!" He yelled fiercely at his daughter, his face red with anger.

Miki stood up and glared at her husband. "Matsou, calm down!" She turned to Sakura and her eyes soften. "Sakura, dear, what do you plan on doing now? This discussion is yours and yours alone. However, whatever you choose, I will always be your mother and I will always love you. As will your father." She glanced at her husband, then back to her daughter.

Sakura wanted to cry and hug her mother, but she held back. Her mother was just so...understanding sometimes. "I...we...he asked me to marry him...He...he wants us to be a family..." She whispered. "I...I accepted..."

Matsou went motionless, his jaw set firmly. "You're too young. If you won't have an abortion, you will put it up for adoption. And you're **_not_** getting married."

Miki frowned. "Matsou, you'll being unreasonable."

Matsou rounded on his wife, a fierce glare in his dark eyes. "**_I'm_** unreasonable? This is **_our_** daughter! She shouldn't be in this predicament in the first place!" He turned back to Sakura. "You're under house arrest until the baby's born. I will no longer allow you to see that boy."

Sakura's eyes widen in shock and disbelief. "No! Dad, you can't do that!"

Miki glared at her husband. "Matsou, I thought you understood the situation. Keeping her away from him isn't going to solve anything."

Matsou grumbled. "It'll make me feel a hell of a lot better if she doesn't see that kid anymore."

Sakura exploded. She couldn't take her father's insensitivity any longer. She wanted out and she wanted out **_now_**. "I can't believe you! How could you treat me like this! I love him, shouldn't you be happy for me! Shouldn't you be at least happy that he hasn't left me but is willing to stay?" Tears were now falling from her eyes like a waterfall, wetting the blueish carpet beneath their feet. "Shouldn't you be..." She was sobbing now, her voice broken. "Shouldn't you be happy that he loves me more than anything? He..he would never hurt me. He wants to take care of our...of our **_child_**! And I want to be there with him! With them! I won't have an abortion! I won't put my baby up for adoption! And I most definitely will not leave Lee-kun's side!" With that, she ran out of the house, leaving her father staring wide eye and gaping.

_**----------**_

Lee frowned as it suddenly started pouring down rain. His 'training' with Gai-sensei earlier that day was tougher than he thought it was going to be, and now he was alone as the rest of his team decided to call it a day and went home a few hours ago. Except for Gai-sensei, who stayed with the young father-to-be to give him a few 'pointers' at raising a family and the married life.

Lee never knew that Gai was once married and when he asked him about it, his sensei had this faraway look in his eyes as he distantly told him a story from his past. It turns out that, no, Gai has never been married before, but came so closed to it once.

Kakashi had stolen his fiancée.

Lee was shocked to hear that, but he was even more shock when Gai told him – with a grin – that she left Kakashi for Asuma, Shikamaru's sensei. And after that shock wore if, Gai had once again told him that she dumped him for some Sand village shinobi, leaving a trail of heartbroken men behind. Lee was happy that Gai didn't marry her, she didn't sound like a trustworthy and loyal person to be dedicated in a longterm commitment, not like his Sakura-chan.

After Gai had told him the story of how he almost got married (and explaining more about the ring he gave him), and once they had an important discussion, the older man declared with a youthful outburst that it was once again time to challenge his eternal rival, thus running off into some random direction, leaving Lee alone with his thoughts.

And here he was now, getting soaked thoroughly with the unexpected rain shower. He remembered one of the lessons from that day's Special Training. He never knew that raising a baby was so difficult, and he regained new respect to all parents nationwide. Soon, he too will be going through those difficult times, but that didn't matter, because as long as he has Sakura with him, he'll be able to beat death.

As he stood there in the rain, thoughts of his future wife (that thought still seemed so surreal to him) entered his head. He would do anything in his power to be the best father and husband that he could be. But there was something Gai told him. Something that would stay with him for as long as he lived.

_**----------**_

_Gai sighed as he watched his favorite student proceed his daily workout, after the Special Training he had his team go through. There was something on his mind that he had to talk to Lee about. He would rather not bring up such a topic with his favorite student as he was sure it would crush him, but it was something that had to be done._

"_Lee," Gai started as Lee prepared himself for his regular training in his taijutsu. _

_He turned around to give his sensei an award winning grin. "Hai, Gai-sensei?" He asked._

_Gai sighed and took a seat heavily on a fallen log with his elbows resting on his knees. "Come here." He said, in all serious, and this caused Lee to immediately fall from his fighting stance to walk over to his sensei, a curious expression on his round face._

"_Gai-sensei? Is everything okay?" He took a seat next to Gai as he waited for him to continue._

_Gai's eyes drifted upwards to the sky, noticing the darkening clouds but paid it no mind. "Lee, there is something we need to talk about."_

_Now Lee was even more curious than before. This wasn't like Gai-sensei at all. His normal youthful enthusiastic personality was gone and replaced with a more serious one, something that Lee wasn't quite used to._

"_About what, Gai-sensei?" He asked. There was a slight jitter in his stomach that told him something was wrong._

_Gai remained quiet for a moment, trying to think of how he should say this to the young man beside him. His entire dream was to fulfil his nindo, but could he really do it while raising a child and caring for a wife? Lee was far too young for the trails he was sure to endure. Does he understand what all this will do to him? Gai wasn't trying to make him choose between the people he loves and the thing he loves, but Gai didn't want Lee to fall apart because of it either._

"_About you, Lee." He finally said._

_Lee blinked in surprise. "Me?"_

_Gai nodded. "There is something you must know," he said, taking a deep breath before continuing. "Raising a child isn't an easy task to do, Lee, especially for a ninja. In the early stages of a child's life, they need both parents to care for them. A parent cannot properly care for a child if they are often gone on missions."_

_Lee nodded, afraid as to where this was leading to, but he remained quiet and listened to his sensei's words._

_Gai continued. "Raising a child is sort of like a mission in its own. There are a lot of sacrifices to be made and a lot of responsibility to be taken care of." He turned his head to look Lee straight in the eyes. "One cannot raise and child and be a ninja at the same time."_

_Lee's own eyes widen in disbelief and shock. "But...Gai-sensei! Surely I can!"_

_Gai sadly shook his head. "Lee, do you not understand? What if you go out on a mission and never returned? Your child would have never known his father. Sakura would then have to raise your child on her own."_

_Lee frantically shook his head. Why was Gai-sensei acting like this? He didn't like it. "But, Gai-sensei! I will return, because there is nothing in the world that will keep me away from my family."_

_Gai only smiled bitterly. "But how long will you be able to keep that up, Lee? You are not invincible and there are much stronger ninja out there in the bitter world. Can you truly tell yourself that you will return home after each mission?" _

_Lee said nothing as he pondered this. Was Gai-sensei trying to make him choose between his ninja way and his life with Sakura? He just didn't understand. "Gai-sensei...why are you...?"_

_Gai suddenly smiled, just a little. "Lee, I am confident in your ability to be a good husband and father and a good ninja, but there are things that may happen. You can possibly lose either or both of your most precious things." He looked at the sky again and stood up, rolling his shoulders back and grinning. "Now, my precious student, I must find my eternal rival!" Before he left, he turned back to Lee once more. "And Lee, no matter what happens, know that your family comes first." And with that, Gai-sensei was gone, leaving a bewildered Lee behind._

_Lee blinked after Gai in astonishment. Of course his family would come first. Only an idiot would choose otherwise...but was it true what he said about giving up his ninja right? Could he, Rock Lee, just suddenly give up his dream and become a civilian? Konoha needed him, as they were already short on manpower. For years he has been training to become a great ninja without the use of genjutsu and ninjutsu. Was all that effort for nothing? What was he going to do?_

_He sighed. "...I would do anything for Sakura-chan...even...if it meant giving up my ninja way..."_

_**----------**_

Lee wiped the water out from his eyes, a pointless task, as it continued to rain ceaselessly. He frowned as those thoughts entered his mind. He meant it when he said he'll give up his ninja way for the woman he loved. Nothing was more important than her. He would die a hundred times if it meant that she would be safe from danger.

A bolt of lightning and a roar of thunder brought him from his thoughts as the rain suddenly came down in waves. If he stayed out here any longer, he may just catch pneumonia and than what good would he be? He quickly grabbed his forgotten bag and raced home, thoughts of seeing his beloved angel filled his mind and he ran at top speed, nothing but a green blur in the pouring rain.

_**----------**_

Sakura ran through the rain, running towards the Hokage's tower. She needed to see Tsunade and talk to her. Unfortunately, she never made it there as she carelessly bumped into someone, causing her to fall backwards on the cold and muddly ground. She winced in pain and cast her eyes upwards, only to have them widen in shock.

A tall young man, around her age, stood overtop her looking down. He wore a dark cloak that protected him from the rain and hide his face from view. The only thing she could see were his eyes and they scared her. His eyes were dark and emotionless, and she has never seen anyone with such murderous intent in them. However, it didn't take her too long to realize why he looked so familiar to her.

"_Sasuke_?"

Indeed, standing before her was her old teammate, who had left her and the village only three years prior. What was he doing here? Why was he here? He was considered a missing nin and if he was caught, the consequences could be horrible. She was confused as to why he would show up now. She knew she didn't love him anymore, but he was still her teammate, her old friend. She continued sitting on the ground, gawking at his mysterious presense.

"Sakura." He stated, his voice showing no such emotion as he said her name.

Fear struck Sakura as she looked up at him, many things running rampant through her mind. Why was he back now? After almost three years? What did he want? She wanted to ask but she couldn't find her voice, not with his piercing black eyes staring at her so intently. She was frozen on the ground, valuable to the world, especially to the man that stood before her.

He spoke, his voice was as cold as when he spoke her name. "It's been a while."

_**----------**_

_**AN**: And thus, it ends. The chapter, not the story. I like to apologize for being super late with this one. I had the worst ever writer's block in history, but I got it done because I knew all my adoring readers would be quite upset if I did not get it done soon. So, there you have it. Please review! _

_**Of course, credit goes out to EnduranceInTribulation for making all this possible by being my support and inspiration.**_

_**Next Chapter Teaser**: So he had caught her crying. She sniffled and felt even more ashamed. She didn't want to look weak in front of the person she admired most. She wanted him to think she was strong. "I...I wa-wasn't...cr-cr-crying..." She stuttered, forcing the sobs that threaten to break through her throat down._


	8. Chapter 8: My Pain

_**Disclaimer**: No matter how much I beg, scream, and dance, Naruto will never be mine._

_**AN**: A Naruto and Hinata development chapter...do enjoy. _

_**Warning**: Naruto and Hinata might seem a little out of character. I'm very sorry for that, please forgive me?_

_Also, this is a birthday gift for my friend, The Rockologist, happy 17th! -throws a birthday cake at him- XD_

_**And finally, the standard "Thank you EnduranceInTribulation"...Thanks EIT for your wonderful suppoert and beta skills. NOW enjoy the fic!**_

_**----------**_

_**The Power of Youth  
**__**By SapphireWhiteTigress**_

**Chapter VIII – My Pain**

_**----------**_

Naruto silently stared out of the window of his lonely home, an uneaten bowl of ramen chilled on the table not far from him. He watched as the rain cascaded down the pane of his window in rivers, lost in his own thoughts. Ever since he found out about Sakura's...pregnancy, life just took a turn for the worst. Sakura-chan, the girl he had a crush on since his days at the academy, was going to be gone forever. Not gone in the sense that she was leaving, but gone in the way that she will be out of his reach forever. He knew he wasn't in love with her, but he liked her a lot and he wanted to be the one that was there with her.

It surprised him to no end when he had returned home after training with Ero-Sennin to find out that his old crush was dating the one she once thought was repulsive. They've been dating steadily for six months before he returned. He had asked Lee how did he finally get Sakura to agree to go out with him and the older boy only grinned, sticking his thumb into the air and declared excitedly that hard work pays off in the end. Naruto was confused after that. It made no sense to him. He tried harder and longer to gain Sakura's affection, but she still went after Sasuke. Was it something he did wrong? Was he not good enough?

All these thoughts made his head hurt. He wanted to stop thinking about it, there was nothing he could do. He sighed and pushed himself up from his sitting position next to the window. He wanted to get out of this stuffy house. He wanted to walk in the rain and hope that it would wash away his sorrows and pain. That it would cleanse his battered and worn soul.

He grabbed his fallen jacket that rested on the floor of his dark apartment and pushed his arms through the sleeves. He grabbed his keys off the table and headed to the door, slipping his feet in his shoes. Walking out of his small home, his eyes swept through the darkness and closed the door. Locking it, he wondered why he even bother to. It wasn't as if he had anything worth stealing.

He shoved his hands into his pockets and headed in a random direction, not really caring where his feet took him. The rain pounded on him mercilessly, but he didn't care. He didn't really care about anything right now. He was so deep in depression that he wasn't sure if he would be able to crawl out.

He suddenly grew angry with himself as he continued to walk through the rain. This was stupid. Why would he be so upset and so down on himself just because Sakura didn't feel the same way as he did? He should be happy for her. But why did he feel so empty inside? Sakura was one of his best friends. One of the very few people that actually **_cared_** about him. So, why couldn't he just be happy that she found someone that could take care of her?

...Because that someone wasn't him.

His eyes were lowered to the ground as these thoughts ran through his mind. The rain continued to fall carelessly on him as he walked through the silent streets of Konoha. Only a fool would be out on this rainy evening. And to think that it started out nicely, too. But the rain matched his mood almost perfectly.

A flash of lightning struck overhead followed by a dangerous roar of thunder that shook the sky. He ignored it, though. A thunderstorm was the least of his worries. However, in-between the sound of the thunder and the constant flashes of the lightning, a soft sound entered his hearing. He paused in his walk and looked up. His feet led him to Konoha's park area. Scanning the area for the source of the sound, his eyes landed on a small figure hunched on a bench, the rain casting a mysterious glow around her.

Curiously, Naruto found his feet once again leading him, in the direction of the girl. The first thing he noticed when he reached her was her long, flowing dark hair that looked very familiar to him. With a raised eyebrow, Naruto called out to her, standing only a few feet away.

"Hey, are you okay?" He asked, his gentle voice being carried with the wind.

The girl snapped her head up in surprise and clear violet eyes met those of perfect blue. She gasped and quickly rubbed at her eyes, feeling foolish to be caught in her moment of weakness. It didn't matter how much she tried wiping at her eyes, the tears still came and she prayed that he would think that it was the rain.

"Hinata-chan?" His voice betrayed the shock of seeing that it was Hinata who was sitting in the rain crying. "...What's wrong?" He asked and took a seat on the wet bench next to her, further soaking his clothes, but he didn't care. Hinata was his friend and right now, she needed someone to be there with her. He pushed all his sorrows and feelings aside to comfort her as best as he could.

Hinata averted her eyes and looked towards the damped ground. "N-Nothing, N-Naruto...kun..." She whispered. Naruto almost missed with she had said.

He tilted his head to the side. "Are you sure? I don't think people cry over nothing."

So he had caught her crying. She sniffled and felt even more ashamed. She didn't want to look weak in front of the person she admired most. She wanted him to think she was strong. "I...I wa-wasn't...cr-cr-crying..." She stuttered, forcing the sobs that threaten to break through her throat down.

Naruto knew he wasn't the smartest person in the village and he also knew that he could be quite clueless sometimes, but he also knew when someone was in pain. He could tell she was by the look she had in her clear eyes. "Hinata-chan..." He started. He wanted to know what was troubling his friend. "...Please tell me what's wrong?"

Hinata stared down at her folded hands in her lap, trying to keep the tears at bay. She took a shuttering breath and willed herself not to cry. She just felt so miserable and emotionally unstable. She just couldn't possibly tell Naruto why she felt this way.

Naruto placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, surprising her. She glanced up into his warm eyes, shadowed by the fallen rain. "It's okay, Hinata." He wasn't sure what he was referring to, but he felt it was something that she needed to hear.

Tears welled up in her eyes against her will and she particularly threw herself in his arms, sobbing openly on his already damp jacket. Naruto was shocked as she did so and after a few seconds, he slowly wrapped his arms around her and held her to him. He allowed her to sob and never once did he push her away. She felt safe in his arms. And he felt needed to have her there.

After a while, the pouring rain slowed to a misty drizzle. Naruto was sure that either or both of them would end up being sick in bed the next morning but he hadn't the heart or willpower to push her away, at least, not yet.

Once her crying slowed to a slight sniffled, he gently pushed her back so he could look into her clear eyes. She had the smallest trace of a pinkish blush on her cheeks as she avoid eye contact. Naruto smiled down at her as he unconsciously lifted up a finger to wipe away a stray tear that fell from her beautiful eyes.

"Are you okay now?"

She slowly nodded, blushing a deeper shade of red as he touched her cheek to remove the tear. Her heartbeat quicken and her breath hitched in her throat. He was so close to her, holding her so tenderly in his arms. She wanted to stay like this forever. To be in his arms for as long as they both lived. Oh, she loves him so much, but he hardly acknowledges her. She was a burden to everyone. He couldn't possibly ever lover her.

Naruto stared at her for a moment, slowly frowning. "Hinata-chan, what's wrong? Why were you crying? Please, tell me." His voice was so sincere and caring that Hinata wasn't sure what to think about it. She wanted to tell him that she loves him, that she always loved him. She wanted to tell him that he was her inspiration, he was her strength. She wanted to tell him that he was the caused of her tears, he was the reason she cried, because she knew that he would never love her. But she couldn't tell him any of those. She just couldn't.

Naruto's frown deepened as she remained quiet. He didn't want to force it out of her, but if she kept it bottled up, who knows what might happen. He wanted to help her solve her problem.

"...Hinata-chan..." He said, taking her chin between his index finger and thumb so he could look into her eyes. What he saw almost frightened him. Those weren't the bright and sweet eyes he was so used to seeing. Her eyes lacked the happiness she always held within them. Her eyes were filled with so much pain and hurt that he wanted to turn away from them, but he remained. He wouldn't allow himself to turn away from her. Not when she obviously needed him. "Hinata-chan...?" He repeated, his own eyes were filled with worry and confusion.

Hinata forcefully closed her eyes and prayed that he'll forgive her for what she was about to do. She was so scared but if she doesn't do it now, she may never get the chance ever again. She took a deep breath and did the unexpected.

She kissed him.

Naruto's eyes widen in shock as her soft, wet lips met his. He couldn't comprehend the action that Hinata was making. Why was she kissing him? He was so confused over it, he wasn't sure how to respond, but before he could do anything, the girl pulled back and stood up away from him. She was trembling as tears fell from her eyes again. All he could do was stare at her in shock.

She raised one unsteady hand to her face and backed away from Naruto. How could she have been so foolish to **_kiss_** him. He must hate her even more now. "N-Naruto-k-kun...I'm...I'm...so-sorry..." She cried out before turning and running away from him. _Always running away from him..._

Naruto quickly snapped from the daze he was in and raised a finger to his lips, where Hinata had just kissed him. He slowly blinked and stood, watching as she disappeared from view. "Hinata-chan? Why...did you kiss me?" His questioned the evening air, his question remaining unanswered. His fingers grazed his lips again and felt something unfamiliar prick inside of him. If he wasn't confused before, he certainly was now.

Naruto ran after her.

_**----------**_

Hinata ran down the damp streets of Konoha with her arm covering her tearful eyes. Why did she kiss him? She was so...stupid! Now he'll hate her more. She loves him so much that it was tearing her apart inside. She just wanted to get away, hide from him and the whole world. She didn't deserve to be happy. She was weak, forever weak. She would never be as brave or strong as Naruto.

_**----------**_

"Hey! Hinata-chan!" Naruto called throughout the now misty streets of Konoha, searching for the girl who had just kissed him. He wasn't sure if Hinata liked him or not, or if that kiss meant anything at all. He silently hoped that it had meant something to her and it wasn't just a whim. He wasn't sure why he hoped that, but he did.

Why had she run off crying?

"Hinata-chan!" He called once more and frowned when nobody answered him, least of all, the person he was calling for. "Where is she?" He muttered, looking around his surroundings. Hinata was nowhere to be seen and he was almost certain that she ran in this direction.

He frowned in concentration and had an idea. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Immediately, the area was filled with fifteen clones. "Alright guys, look for Hinata-chan and when you find her, contact me, got it?" They all nodded and ran their separate ways. It would be easier and faster to track down the girl by using the clones.

Once his clones where gone, he decided to continue his search for the timid girl. After a few minutes of effortless searching, a droplet of water dropped on his blond hair. He looked towards the sky as it started to rain once more. He sighed and was ready to turn around when something caught his attention. Hoping that it was Hinata, he quickly turned to it.

_**----------**_

"It's been a while," His voice was so dead and cold that she couldn't help but shiver as it reached her ears. She stared up at him, still on the muddy ground, her thoughts in a whirl. The rain came again, adding to the eeriness of the situation. She never thought that she would see him again. Why now? Why was he here? So many things ran through her mind and she wanted to ask them, to yell at him for leaving them, for leaving her, but nothing would come out of her mouth.

The cloaked figure tilted his head to the side as his lifeless eyes glanced over her. His mind was blank and his face held no expression as he looked at her. No, he was looking **_though_** her. Sakura felt unnerved and wished he'll turn away.

"Sasuke...why...?" She wasn't sure what to say to the boy she once loved. She shook her head and shakily stood up, stumbling away from him. "Sasuke...I...I can't forgive you for what you've done..." She whispers as tears came to her eyes for the second time that night.

Sasuke only smirked, his first sign of any facial expression. "I didn't come for forgiveness, Sakura."

Sakura frowned, trying to hold back the tears. She wasn't going to cry in front of him. She wasn't going to shed anymore tears because of him. She turned away and clenched her right hand in front of her chest. "What...what happened to you?" She asked, turning back to face him.

Sasuke said nothing as he stared at her with those dark eyes of his she once admired. As she closed her eyes to block out those of the youngest Uchiha, an imagine of Lee fluttered into her mind. He was smiling at her, as he usually did when he was around his angel. Seeing his face in her mind gave her strength to stand up against her old teammate. She opened her eyes and glared at him, momentarily surprising him.

His smirked turned into a wide grin. Not a grin you would see on the face of Naruto or anyone who was struck with mirth, but a grin you would see on the first of someone like...Orochimaru. "You've changed, Sakura." He stated in observation.

The girl continued to glare at him, not allowing him the pleasure of knowing how much she was afraid. And she _was_ afraid. She didn't know what to do right now. As she stared at him, willing herself not to cower under his frightening gaze, her stomach lurched painfully. She paled, praying that she wouldn't vomit here, right now, in front of **_him_**. Instead, she decided to respond to his statement. "A lot has changed since you abandoned us, Sasuke."

Something flashed in Sasuke's eyes and she thought for a moment that she imagined it for it was gone as quickly as it came. "Is that so?" He said as his eyes shifted to a moving shadow. His frown quickly returned to his face as he reached inside of his dark cloak.

Sakura eyes widen at his sudden movement and was almost afraid that he'll kill her. She couldn't die, not yet...not in **_this_** condition. When his hand withdraw from the inside of his cloak, he was holding a kunai. Fear struck Sakura's heart as her blood ran cold. The boy before her causally flicked his waist and the kunai went soaring through the air at an alarming rate. She tightly closed her eyes, waiting for the end. He would kill her and her unborn child. She would never see Lee again and Lee would never become the husband and father that he wanted to be. She silently made a prayer that Lee would find happiness in the future and that he would have the strength to move on.

However, she felt no pain, but instead heard a faint popping sound. She reopened her eyes to see a puff of smoke a few yards from them. Sasuke wasn't aiming it at her, but at a kage bunshin.

_**----------**_

Naruto eyes trailed to the figure he saw and frowned. What was **_he_** doing here? Shouldn't he be...? Naruto shrugged and walked over to him, a glare on his face. The other person didn't seem to notice him as he approached and Naruto was glad that he mastered hiding his chakra signature.

"Why are you here?" He demanded, arms crossed over his chest.

The figure in question spun around. "Ah! Naruto! Good to see you again!" He said sheepishly, with a wide grin on his face.

"Why are you here, Ero-sennin?" Naruto asked the pervert again, who was obviously peeking in a girls' bathhouse. Again. Possibly claiming to be doing his 'research'.

Jiraiya, the Toad Hermit, stood up straight and outstretched the palm of his hands towards the boy, declaring to him, "It's research!"

Naruto was none impressed. "I don't really think that anybody would be in the baths in the rain."

Jiraiya raised an eyebrow and dropped his hand to his side. He turned away from the boy he trained and crossed his hands over his chest. "Since when did you get so smart?"

Naruto grinned and placed both of his hands behind his head. "Even **_I_** would know that, Ero-sennin."

Jiraiya rolled his eyes. "Why are you out, anyway?"

Naruto shrugged with his hands still placed behind his head. "I was walking around." He then remembered, "Hey, hey, have you seen Hinata-chan around?" He asked, dropping his arms to his side.

The hermit thought about it for a moment. "Hinata...she's that shy timid girl, right?" Naruto nodded. "Hmm...she's grown over the years..." He said, thinking about it. Naruto's right eye twitched. "She's becoming a woman, ne?"

Naruto glared angrily at Jiraiya and punch him upside the head. "Hey! Don't talk about Hinata-chan like that, hentai!"

Jiraiya frowned and rubbed the growing bump. "...Oh, I see..." Suddenly tears came to his eyes and he grabbed Naruto in a bone-crushing hug. "Naruto! You are truly becoming a man!"

Naruto was take aback by Jiraiya's sudden actions and tried desperately to get away from the perverted man. "Ah! Let me go, Ero-sennin! I gotta find Hinata-chan!"

Jiraiya quickly released Naruto and grinned as he ran off into some random direction. "Ah, to be in love..." He said before turning back around to peek into a small hole that was in the wooden fence. He laughed. "Now, they're sure to come out any minute..." And so, he waited as the rain continued to pour down on him.

_**----------**_

_**AN**: I'm SO sorry if I got Jiraiya wrong because I have never ever written him in a story before and I can't recall any episodes with him in it (and because of my laziness, I don't feel like getting on YouTube to find out). But, anyway, I really hoped you enjoyed this chapter! Please review! I'll really appreciate it! And when reviewing, give me some tips or point out some of my mistakes so I can become better! And thank you, **Kisara the Angel of Music**, for pointing out that 'then' and 'than' problem. Hopefully, it's better, for I will read over my story 100 times and if I cannot, then I will...read it 200 times! **-strikes a pose-**_

_**Next Chapter Teaser**: Matsou remained silent throughout Lee's entire speech, observing him. Taking in everything the weird boy had said. What did he know about love? He was only a kid. A stupid, bowl-cut hair, hormone raging teenager. He knew nothing of love._


	9. Chapter 9: My Battle

_**AN**: Beware of the OOC-ness that is abound. Apologies. _

_**----------** _

_**The Power of Youth  
**__**By SapphireWhiteTigress**_

**Chapter IX – My Battle**

_**----------**_

Lee raised a nervous hand to the door that belonged to his sweet cherry blossomed angel. He was growing increasingly worried about her since it has been well over twelve hours when they were last together that morning. He knew that she was still feeling a bit sick and he didn't approve of her training with Kakashi-sensei and Naruto. She, of course, told him that he had no reasons to worried, that she'll be perfectly fine. He pointed out the fact that a beautiful and pregnant girl shouldn't be straining herself so hard. That earned him a glare and a light smack on the back of his head.

So, here he was, positioning his knuckles a few inches away from her door. He tried the method he used yesterday by throwing small pebbles at her bedroom window, but his effort in gaining her attention went unheeded. He thought that perhaps she wasn't in her room at the time, so he would try knocking on the door. The thought that maybe she was still with her sensei training crossed his mind, but he knew that Sakura couldn't possibly be still training after eleven-odd hours.

He took a deep breath as he readied himself and brought his knuckle to the wooden door. What he was mostly nervous about was the fact that her parents would answer instead of her. He silently prayed that they wouldn't as he finally rapped his knuckles against the door three times. Small beads of sweat started to form on his forehead, despite the rain.

After waiting a few minutes, the door was finally opened and Lee found himself face to face with Sakura's father. If possible, Lee could've died right then and there from the look the older man was giving him. His eyes were so intense and cold that it could freeze fire with a glance. His jawline was set as he glared venomously at the boy.

"**_What_**?" His voice was as cold and hateful as his eyes.

Lee started to sweat more profusely, only half aware of the rain that fell around him. "Um...I...well..." He stammered, trying to find the right words to say to the man that would someday become his father-in-law. He took a deep breath and bowed deeply in honorable respect. "Please forgive me, Mr. Haruno! I realize that my love for your daughter has complicated matters in your home life and I will do everything I can to make up for it!" He spoke so fast that most of his words nearly ran over each other. He stood up straight and stared Matsou directly in the eyes. "However - and please forgive me for saying this - I will never leave her side and I do not regret my love for her. I wish to make Sakura my wife and I wish to have a beautiful family with her. I am sorry that it had to happen like this." He bowed again, his short bangs, matted to his forehead because of the rain, fell over his eyes.

Matsou remained silent throughout Lee's entire speech, observing him. Taking in everything the weird boy had said. What did he know about love? He was only a kid. A stupid, bowl-cut hair, hormone raging teenager. He knew nothing of love.

He was unable to respond, however, when his wife poked her head out from behind him. "Matsou, let him in before he catches his death out there!" She scolded her husband and gently pushed him aside, allowing the teenage boy to enter.

Lee bowed in respect at her. "I...do not wish to impose, but I was wondering, is Sakura-chan home?"

Miki shook her head and frowned. "No, she isn't. She ran out a few minutes ago." She glared at Matsou after saying the last part.

Lee frowned. "Oh. Do you have any idea where she went?"

Miki shook her head again. "I don't. I honestly thought that she would go to you. Maybe she went to see Hokage-sama?"

Lee nodded. "Ah, I shall go check. Thank you, Mrs. Haruno," He turned to Matsou, "Mr. Haruno." Giving one more grateful bow, he turned on his heels and headed in the direction of the Hokage Tower, leaving both Sakura parents behind.

"I hate him." Matsou glared after the boy, crossing his arms over his chest.

Miki sighed but said nothing as she closed the door.

_**----------**_

Lee ran as fast as the weights on his legs would allow. He wanted to see Sakura as soon as he could, to make sure that she was okay. He felt uneasy and he wasn't sure why, but no matter how much he tried to shake it, the feeling wouldn't go away. He would slip and slid around every corner because of the wet ground, but that didn't slow him down from reaching his destination.

Squinting through the rain, he could see two figures up ahead. No doubt that one of them was Sakura because of the mass of pink hair. The other figure, however, he could not make out. For fear of what that shady figure may do to his Sakura, he burst with extra speed. Unfortunately, being that it was still heavily raining, Lee couldn't stop himself in time as he skidded on the wet dirt ground. He yelped as he tripped and landed only a few feet away from Sakura and the unfamiliar figure.

Sakura spun around and gasped at the fallen boy, who was now covered in mud. "Lee-kun!" She quickly forgot about Sasuke and ran to Lee's side, helping him up.

Lee sheepishly stood up with the help of his girlfriend before turning back to the unfamiliar person that was in their way. At a closer look, Lee could almost make out the dark eyes under the hood that looked **_somewhat_** familiar to him, yet he still couldn't quite place it. He glanced at Sakura. "Are you okay, Sakura-chan?"

Sakura nodded, turning back to her old teammate. "...I was going to see Tsunade-sama when I ran into..." She took a deep breath before saying his name. "...Sasuke."

Lee's eyes widen as he turned back to the other boy. Sasuke was back? Here? If Tsunade found out, she will certainly send in Hunter Nins to capture him. Why would he risk his life to return here? "Sasuke? Why are you...?"

"My reasons are my own." He stated sharply, cutting Lee off. Disgust filled his eyes as he looked from Sakura to Lee, something clicking inside his mind. "...I'm surprise, Saskura. I never thought you would sink so low. Naruto, I would have expected, but this fuzzy eyebrow freak? It's almost humorous."

Sakura glared at him. "Lee-kun is not a freak! He's more of a man than you'll ever be, Sasuke!"

Sasuke tilted his head to the side, humor feeling his cold, ominous eyes. "Is that so?"

Before Sakura could retort, Lee placed a comforting hand on Sakura's shoulder. "It is okay, Sakura-chan, I will handle this..." His voice was gentle and his eyes shined with love.

Sakura frowned and nodded. "Okay, Lee-kun..."

Lee turned with determined filled eyes towards the missing nin. "Why have you returned, Sasuke? Do you not know the consequences of returning to the village that you had once abandoned?"

Sasuke straightened his posture and flipped off his hood, allowing them to see the full features of his face, as the rain once again slowed to a drizzle (hopefully, it won't start up again). His hair had grown over the years as it was now passed his shoulders and his facial features have also matured. No longer was his face childish as it had been in his adolescence years, but was more firm and defined. And above all else, he was still the handsome Uchiha he had been three years ago.

"I could care less about the consequences," he said, shifting his eyes to the side before returning them back on the two people before him. "And what I have come for...is really none of your concern."

Lee narrowed his eyes and took up his traditional fighting stance. "I apologize, Sasuke, but I will do whatever I can in my power to protect my village and the people in it. Your plan **_is_** my concern."

Sakura felt incredibly uneasy and she didn't want Lee fighting Sasuke, especially now since they have no idea how much he had improved over the years. "Lee-kun...maybe we should get Tsunade-sama?"

Lee eyes darted to her momentarily. "I cannot allow him to escape my sight, Sakura-chan. I promise to protect you and I will uphold to my promise." His eyes went back to the last Uchiha. "Prepare yourself, Sasuke Uchiha!"

Sasuke laughed and opened the palm of his hand. Instantly, the chirping sound of a familiar attack filled their ears as he formed the Chidori. As he did so, a sick and twisted grin formed his face. "Prepare to die, fuzzy-brow."

Lee prepared himself. "Sakura-chan! Please, get as far away from here as possible!"

Sakura was paralyzed on the spot, her eyes wide with fear. She couldn't leave Lee here by himself. "But...Lee-kun..."

"Please, Sakura-chan," Lee pleaded her to leave. If something were to happen to her, he would go crazy. He smiled at her and broke his stance to give her a reassuring thumbs up sign. "I love you!" He said.

Tears filled her eyes as she hesitantly nodded and backed as far away from the two as she could. She was afraid to leave the area entirely, because Lee might need her. She wasn't sure what she would be able to do in this state, but she couldn't leave him. She looked around the open area, noticing for the first time that the streets were bare with no life except for the three teenagers.

Lee fell into his form, drawing his strength for a quick burst. He surveyed his opponent, black meeting red, the tension in the air almost palpable. "Konoha Senpu!" Lee yelled, running forward quickly. Sasuke dropped back, flinging his hands up in an attempt to guard the blow but failing miserably, the kick landing squarely on his jaw, knocking him back. Sasuke shook off the blow and spun low, aiming at the taijutsu master's legs, Lee just grinned and jumped over Sasuke's sweep, flipping gracefully over the Uchiha's head and slamming his foot into his opponent's back. Sasuke stumbled off balance but spun around regardless, launching a weak punch at Lee, Lee simply dodged it, his speed easily overtaking Sasuke's.

Lee opened his first gate and easily blocked several shuriken from the Uchiha. He ran forward again, fully confident that he could end the fight then. Lee felt something wrong however, he felt... uncontrolled, it was then he realized, he had not taken into account the water on the ground and slipped. He lurched forward quickly, unable to catch himself when Sasuke saw an opening in the taijutsu master's usually impeccable defense. He jumped into Lee's path and immediately began to draw his chakra into his opposite hand, Lee's eyes widened but try as he may, he couldn't stop the force of his forward momentum. Sasuke smirked as he ran forward, the bright blue ball glowing sinisterly in his hand, "CHIDORI!" he bellowed.

As he was about to land the finishing blow, something else had attacked him from behind, throwing his Chidori into an abandon house, creating a huge hole. Sasuke twisted around to come face to face with Naruto's fist, throwing him into the same building his Chidori landed in only seconds before. Debris fell over him as he struggled to get up.

Lee smiled as he steadied himself. "Naruto-kun!"

Naruto just frowned. He was glad that he made it in time before some serious damage could be done to his friends. The fact that Sasuke was back chilled him to the core. "Sasuke-teme."

Sasuke stood up and glared threateningly at his old friend. The boy he once would consider his best friend. But not anymore. He was not turning back, it was too late for that. "Naruto."

Naruto stared at Sasuke, his eyes usually emotionless as he remembered that day. The day he last saw his friend. The day his friend tried to kill him. "Why are you here?"

Sasuke's eyes were as emotionless as Naruto's own. "I've came for you, Naruto."

The boy blinked in surprise. "What? Why?"

Lee stood next to Naruto and glared at Sasuke. "If you want Naruto-kun, then you would have to go through me first." He challenged, adopting his stance once more.

A few yards away, Sakura watched from the sidelines, silently hoping her friend and her love would be okay. It killed her to sit back and watch, so unable to do anything of use, and a part of her wanted to rush in and defend them but there was nothing she could do right now. She should have gone to get Tsunade, an ANBU squad, anyone...but she was too afraid to leave, she felt that if she wasn't there for them, they would be injured and need her.

Sasuke was growing annoyed with this. He wasted too much time in this forsaken village as it was. _'This is getting out of hand,'_ he thought, _'It would be wiser if I could catch him alone and take him then.'_ He quickly formed a Chidori in each hand as he glared at them. Once the twin balls of light left his hands, he took off running, retreating for now. He'll be back.

Naruto and Lee quickly dodged the attacks, causing them to explode in the nearby house, thus creating and landfall of fallen debries. Lee rolled a few feet away, making sure that none of the metarial from the house fell on him. However, his worries grew when he heard the most horrible sound possible.

Sakura's scream.

Lee's eyes widen as he spun around, as fast as lightning, to see Sakura double over in pain. He was immediately at her side before anyone could blink. "Sakura-chan! What happened!" He asked frantically, his voice was panicstricken.

Naruto's eyes widen as he, too, was by Sakura's side. "Sakura-chan!"

Sakura held on to her side as pain ripped through her body. She glanced down at the blood that was seeping through her fingers and onto the ground. She became dizzy and started to fall forward. Lee instantly caught her and held her in his arms. Lee's eyes scanned over her and saw the ugly gash that now covered her stomach. His heart nearly stopped at the sight as his blood ran cold.

Fear and rage filled Naruto's eyes as he turned in the direction Sasuke had ran off into. "Lee-san, take Sakura to the hospital. I'll go after Sasuke."

Lee looked up at the younger boy with wide eyes as he stood up, lifting Sakura in his strong arms. "Naruto-kun, you can't take on Sasuke by yourself."

Naruto narrowed his eyes. "Don't worry about me. Get Sakura to a hospital."

Lee nodded as he saw the anger in his friends eyes. He looked down at Sakura, the blood endlessly falling from her wound and her usually radiant skin was a sick pale. He turned on his heels and ran as fast as he could to get to Konoha's hospital on time, nothing but a blur of green.

As soon as Lee and Sakura were gone, Naruto, with a burst of speed, chased after Sasuke. He wasn't going to let Sasuke get away with hurting his friend. No matter how much he considered the other boy as a brother, Sasuke was going to pay.

_**----------**_

In a matter of minutes, Lee reached the hospital and rushed inside, almost skidding across the tile floor as he rounded a corner. As he arrived at the receptionist desk, he noticed that Tsunade was there talking to one of the nurses. With great relief, he headed into her direction.

"Tsunade-sama! Tsuande-sama!" He bellowed at the top of his lungs. He slowed down and took a deep breath, holding the girl close to his heart.

Tsunade turned around to see an extremely worried Lee with a bloodied and unconscious Sakura. She instantly paled at as she took note of the state the girl was in. "What happened?" She asked as she took the limp girl from Lee's arms.

Lee reluctantly handed his girlfriend over to the Hokage and followed behind her. "Sasuke was in the village," he explained, "And I fought him. Unfortunately, he retreated, but before he did, he threw his attack at us. I am...afraid that..." He trailed off, his eyes falling on the unconscious girl.

Tsunade entered a room, but before Lee could enter it too, she turned around to him. "I'll need you to wait outside Lee," she said quickly, "I'll be out soon."

"But Tsunade-sama!" He yelled, not wanting to leave her side. "Is Sakura-chan going to be okay? What about our child?"

"Go outside and wait," Tsunade repeated, placing Sakura on a small bed next to a table filled with medical instruments. "I'll come tell you in a little while, right now she's lost a lot of blood and we need to do something immediately." She turned around to shove the unwilling boy out of the room. "Now wait."

Before Lee could protest further, the door shut in his face. His eyes stung with tears as he turned around with his back against the door. He was so worried that he could hardly stand up straight. He took a sit in one of the available chairs in the waiting room. He placed his head in his hands and silently prayed that Sakura and their child would be okay. He wouldn't be able to live without them. He sighed again in depression. All he had to do was wait.

He hated waiting.

_**----------**_

_**AN**: Uh-oh...Sakura's been injured. Badly. What's going to happen next? And what's going to happen once (or IF) Naruto meets up with Sasuke-teme again? Will Sakura be okay? How about her unborn child? And, I'm sure you're all wondering, WHAT ABOUT THE OTHERS? Find out in the next exciting chapter of **THE POWER OF YOUTH**! Please keep reviewing...it helps me better my chances of more updates. _

_I tried making the chapters longer, but alas, I failed. I am so sorry that I could not do it...**-cries-**_

_**Major credit goes out to EnduranceInTribulation for supplying me with awesome fight scenes, for I do not know how to write a battle scene if my life was depended on it.**_

_**Next Chapter Teaser**: "Damn it!" Naruto cursed as he lost the person he was pursuing. He couldn't believe that that bastard had gotten away from him. He angrily searched the area outside of the village, not daring to venture any further. His eyes flashed a dangerous red as he scanned his surroundings for anything that would tell him where Sasuke ran off to. "You coward! Come out and fight me!" He hollowed, hoping to coaxed the boy out of hiding._


	10. Chapter 10: My Relief

_**The Power of Youth  
**__**By SapphireWhiteTigress**_

**Chapter X – My Relief**

**_----------_**

Lee stared blankly at the closed door. The door that led to the room his Sakura flower was currently in. He has no idea on what was going on and he prayed to the heaven's above that everything was going to be alright. It has already been ten minutes, but to him, it felt like a lifetime. He tried to keep the fear from entering his heart and the thoughts at bay, but nevertheless, they tortured him. He tried to keep positive but considering the situation, that was proving ever so difficult. He wanted to know if she was okay. He wanted to know now.

He stood up and stared at the door before heaving a deep and depressed sigh. He slowly walked to the door and placed a bandaged hand on it while leaning his head against the cold wood. He hated hospitals, especially when the love of his life was in one.

He pushed himself off the door and started pacing the floor, his youthful glow was long gone since meeting up with that...traitor. At the thought of the youngest Uchiha, and uncharacteristic growl left his throat and his fist clenched at his side. He'll be damned if he allowed Sasuke to get away with hurting his precious flower and if...and if anything happens to her...Sasuke would regret living.

Lee's eyes begun to water but he blinked the tears away. He had to be strong, he had to have faith. Sakura was going to pull through, she was going to make it. Her and their child. He would believe in them, he had to.

He plopped himself back down in the chair and just...waited. That was all he could do for now. And it was killing him.

_**----------**_

"Damn it!" Naruto cursed as he lost the person he was pursuing. He couldn't believe that that bastard had gotten away from him. He angrily searched the area outside of the village, not daring to venture any further. His eyes flashed a dangerous red as he scanned his surroundings for anything that would tell him where Sasuke ran off to. "You coward! Come out and fight me!" He hollowed, hoping to coaxed the boy out of hiding.

"Oi, Naruto!" A voice shouted behind him, causing the blond to spin around and fling a kunai at the intruder. The person yelled out in surprise and Naruto blinked as he got a better look at the person who called out his name and sheepishly smiled when he realized it was only Kiba and a few of the others.

"Oh, hey guys..." He said, waving to them.

Kiba growled in annoyance and picked himself up of the ground from when he had dodged the kunai that the other boy had thrown at him. "What was that for! Were you **_trying_** to kill me!" Kiba glared at him.

Naruto glared back and crossed his arms over his chest. "Don't you know that you shouldn't sneak up on people?"

"I wasn't expecting you to throw a kunai at me, dumbass." Kiba countered.

Shino, who was among the group frowned, not that any of them could tell, before turning around. "We should get going." He said calmly as he walked away.

Naruto nodded and also made his way back through the village gates. "Yeah, I have to make sure Sakura-chan's okay."

Kiba blinked as he followed Naruto, Akamaru trailing beside him. Behind Kiba was the ever lazy chuunin, Shikamaru, as he followed behind them with a yawn. "What happened to Sakura?" Kiba asked curiously. He didn't know much about Sakura, but he knew that she was apart of the Rookie 9, and therefore, apart of their team.

Naruto's eyes narrowed as the scene from earlier played in his mind again. The return of Sasuke after so many years, how much he changed, how he wasn't going to hesitate to kill them, and how he threw those two Chidori, ultimately hurting Sakura-chan. Naruto wanted to go after the traitor but knew he couldn't and right now, he needed to make sure Sakura was okay.

"She's in the hospital." Naruto replied.

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. "The hospital?"

Naruto nodded. "Yeah...We, um..." He didn't want to tell them about Sasuke returning. It was because of Sasuke that half of them almost lost their lives three years ago. "She was...hurt, badly." He said instead.

They didn't ask anymore questions as they made their way to the hospital, and on their way, they ran into Ino, Tenten, and Neji. Ino smiled widely as she saw the approaching males. "Shika-kun! You're back!" She shouted, practically flinging herself in his arms.

Shikamaru stumbled back and sighed, but wrapped his arms around her nonetheless. "You're such a troublesome woman." He said with a smirk.

Ino looked up into his eyes and smacked him playfully on the arm. "Shut up, Shika-kun." She stood back and looked at the others that were with him. "Where are you guys heading?"

Kiba decided to answer. "We were going to the hospital. Naruto says that Sakura's in there."

Ino eyes widen. "What! Why? How?" She asked, panic seeping into her heart. Sakura was her best friend now and she worried about her and her condition. Was Sakura and the baby okay? Before anyone could answer any of her questions, she made a mad dash to the hospital, worried sick about her pink haired friend.

Shikamaru, Naruto, Kiba (and Akamaru), Shino, and Tenten rushed after her. Neji sighed and followed at a slower pace until they all reached the looming hospital building.

_**----------**_

Lee's head shot up at the sound of footsteps and turned his head to the left to see a group of teenagers making their way to him. He quickly stood up as they came nearer. Before he could give them a greeting, however, Ino grabbed him by the collar of his jumpsuit and started shouting in his face.

"What happened to Sakura! Is she okay! How about the baby! ARE THEY OKAY!" She yelled in his face. Poor Lee's eyes were nothing but little swirls.

Shikamaru sighed and untangled Ino's hands from Lee's collar. "You're not going to get any answers like that."

Kiba, on the other hand, was in shock and his mouth hung opened. He lost everything after 'the baby'. He snapped out of it and shook his head. "Wait, wait, **_what_** baby!"

Shikamaru shrugged his shoulders. "Sakura's baby."

Ino blinked up at him. "How did you know Sakura was pregnant?"

The lazy chuunin only grinned. "It doesn't take a genius to figure that out."

Lee shuffled his feet on the floor. Naruto walked over to him. "How's Sakura-chan doing?" He asked, glancing at the close door that was obviously the room Sakura was in.

Lee sighed and glanced at the same door he had been staring at for half and hour. "I...do not know..."

Naruto frowned before smiling at Lee. Lee was so worried about her and so sad that he wasn't used to seeing Lee so depressed. "Don't worry, fuzzy-brows. Sakura-chan's gonna be okay!" He wasn't sure if he was consoling Lee or himself. Possibly both.

Before any further conversation, the door opened and seven pairs of eyes snapped to the opening door and out stepped a slightly worn out Tsunade. Lee and Naruto were immediately at her.

"Tsunade-sama! Is Sakura-chan okay?" Naruto all but shouted.

"And our child?" Lee asked.

Tsunade glared at them. "Give me some room," she said and they backed up off her. Tsunade looked around the room and noticed that Shikamaru, Ino, Neji, Tenten, Kiba and Shino were also there. She cleared her throat, the anticipation driving the teenagers crazy. "Sakura was pretty lucky that no permanent damage was done, but she had lost a lot of blood. We were able to clean her up and replenish the blood she lost. I'm glad you got her here when you did." She turned her head back into the room as the nurse from earlier left with some of the equipment. "She's resting right now, so I'll allow one person at a time to see her for five minutes each."

Lee nodded and was ready to go in when he realized something.

Tsunade didn't mention the baby.

Lee's hand started to shake as he looked at Tsunade, fear in his eyes. "Tsu-Tsunade-sama?"

Tsunade looked up from the clipboard she was holding. "Yes, Lee?"

Lee wasn't sure how to ask her about it, he was almost afraid of the answer he would receive. "How...what about...the...baby?"

At this, everyone's attention was on the Hokage as she sighed. Lee gulped as tears stung his eyes. "The babies...are fine, by some stroke of a miracle."

Lee's eyes widen as he stagged with relief. They were fine...everything was going to be okay...but, wait, babies? "...Babies, Tsunade-sama?"

"Twins, Lee, twins." Tsunade stated with a small smile.

Lee was shock, to say the least. Not only was Sakura-chan okay, and their baby was too...but he was going to be a father twice over! The others were equally as surprised.

"Wait, wait...fuzzy-brows and Sakura-chan are having **_twins_**?" Naruto asked skeptically. Everyone else who had just learned about Sakura's pregnancy couldn't get over the fact that **_Lee_** would...would actually do something like that. Wasn't Lee supposed to be the proper one of the group? At first, they couldn't believe what they were saying, but Tsunade-sama made it official.

Kiba continued to stare wide eyed at Lee, not really believing what he was hearing. Akamaru tilted his head to the side in confusion, sensing Kiba's astonishment.

"Hold on, hold on! Let me get this straight..." Kiba said, pointing an accusing finger at Lee. "YOU...and...Sakura..." He started, his eyes still wide. "...**_YOU_** and **_SAKURA_**...are...are...dude, how's that even **_possible_**?"

Lee sweatdropped. Was it so hard to believe that he loves his cherry blossom so much that they commenced in such a beautiful ritual such as creating another beautiful life?

Tsunade decided to cut in before any further conversation could take place. "Lee, tell me what happened." She demanded from the teenager.

Lee blinked up at Tsunade and frowned. Tsunade, being the Hokage, had the right to know. He glanced at Naruto, who cast his eyes to the floor as his blond bangs shadowed over his crystal blue eyes.

Taking a deep breath, Lee told Tsunade about Sasuke and their brief battle and how Sakura was somehow caught in between. And how Sasuke also claimed to have returned for Naruto. Tsunade eyes darkened as Lee told her everything. Naruto remained silent throughout the whole ordeal, as well as everyone else. After Lee was finished with his explanation, Tsunade nodded her head and turned away, before leaving, she called over her shoulder, "You may visit Sakura now, but don't stay too long. She needs her rest." And with that, Tsunade was gone.

Lee was immediately in the room that Sakura was resting in and Ino would have followed too, if Naruto didn't stop her. When he looked at her, she saw a seriousness that she has never seen on his face before.

"Lee needs some time alone with her." Naruto said, his voice so quiet it surprised her as oppose to his usual loudness and obnoxious behaviour.

She nodded and gave them some privacy. She turned around and took a seat next to her lazy boyfriend, who was staring at the ceiling. He was either daydreaming or tracing the patterns of the ceiling.

Kiba growled. "I can't believe that...ugh, when I find him, I'm gonna rip him apart." He threatened, tightening his fist. Akamaru barked beside him, agreeing with his friend.

Inside the room, Lee approached the small bed that Sakura was peacefully resting in. He silently reached a hand out to her slumbering figure, the tears once again welling up in his onyx eyes. It pained him so much to see her like this. He took a deep breath as he allowed his hand to gently trace the features on her beautiful face. Momentarily, his eyes shifted to her stomach and taking his other hand, he cautiously placed it on top of her stomach, knowing that there were two small life forces in there.

At his touch, Sakura stirred and he immediately withdrew his hands as if burned. Looking back at her face, her soft green eyes met his. "...Lee-kun?" She whispered.

Lee smiled down at her as he brought his hand up to pull back her pink hair from her eyes. "How are you feeling, Sakura-chan?"

Sakura frowned. "...Horrible." She tried to sit up, but a burst of pain shot up her spine causing her to wince.

Lee gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "Please, do not move too much..."

Sakura nodded and sunk into the cozy hospital pillows. "...My stomach hurts..." She said with a grimace. Her eyes shot open at the thought. "Lee-kun! ...How..."

"They are fine, Sakura-chan. Everything is going to be okay." He leaned down and kissed her forehead, calming her. She sighed in relief. Lee pulled up a chair and sat next to the bed, holding her smaller and softer hands in his own. "I love you." Lee told her. It felt like forever since he last said those three meaningful words to her, when in fact, it was only that morning.

Sakura smiled at hearing those precious words again. "I love you too."

Suddenly, there was some commotion coming from outside of the room and the door burst open to as Sakura's father stormed inside of the small room and trailing behind him were a nurse, Naruto and Kiba. The nurse tried to calm the angered man down, but he would have none of it.

Matsou stared at them with a murderous look upon his dark face. "**_YOU_** did this to her, didn't you!" He roared, pointing an angry finger at Lee. "You stupid brat! I'll make you pay for ever putting your hands on my daughter!" He lunged forward, in a blinding rage. For not being a ninja, he was pretty quick on his feet.

Lee stood from his seat and stared intently as Matsou's fist came flying at him. He wasn't going to run away and he wasn't going to fight back. It **_was _**his fault that Sakura was here. If he wasn't so foolish...he should have protected her. He deserved what was going to him, he knew that.

As his fist was inches from Lee's face, Sakura cried out. "Dad, no!" But he ignored her. However, his fist never connected to the young man's face as two set of strong arms stopped him in his tracks. His fist only a few centimeters from Lee's face. Lee didn't even flinch.

Restraining Sakura's father was none other than Gai and Kakashi who had just received the news about Sakura from Tsunade-sama. Kakashi had one lazy hand wrapped around the man's shoulder while Gai stood in front with a hand held perfectly on the man's chest, his face expressionless. It was much like that time at the chuunin exam three years ago when all the jounins (sans Asuma) stopped Neji from ultimately hurting Hinata.

Naruto and Kiba blinked in surprise, having not see nor sense their presence entering the room at all. Lee remained unmoving as he watched the scene unfold before him. Naruto raised an eyebrow and walked over to the green clad boy.

"Were you just going to let him hit you?" Naruto asked, his eyes filled with curiosity.

Lee gave a cult nod. "I deserve whatever he throws at me."

"No you don't, Lee-kun." Sakura said from her position on the bed as she took his hand in hers. "None of this is your fault."

Lee looked down sadly at her and delicately squeezed her hand. "Sakura-chan, I have failed you again and again. I am not worthy of you or the family we have created."

Sakura shook her head. She didn't understand why Lee was beating himself up so hard over it. It was the inevitable. It wasn't his fault.

As the teenagers converse between themselves, a conversation between the adults took place outside of the room where Gai and Kakashi had practically dragged the enraged parent. Also standing outside of the room was a distraught looking Hokage, as well as Shikamaru, Ino, Neji, Tenten and Shino, who hadn't entered the room with Naruto and Kiba.

Tsunade glared at Matsou as she crossed her arms over her chest. "What is the meaning of this, Matsou?"

Matsou glared at both Gai and Kakashi as they slowly let go of his arms. He turned his attention to the village's leader. "I refuse to have that...**_boy_** anywhere near my daughter." He growled out between clenched teeth.

Tsunade cocked an eyebrow. "Oh? Why is that?" She asked unconcerned.

Matsou instantly picked up the tone of her voice and it irritated him. Both Gai and Kakashi stood on the sidelines as they silently watched the exchanged. "He is worthless. He is nothing but a low-class ninja and an annoying brat that got my daughter **_pregnant_**. And if it weren't for him, she wouldn't be in this damn situation. He is a disabled freak and I want **_nothing_** to do with him."

At the end of his explanation, Gai was ready to tear the man apart, but a hand on his shoulder from his rival head him back. He had absolutely no right to say those things about his precious student. Lee would never do anything to hurt those that he loves.

Tsunade calmly observed him before speaking. "I believe you are wrong, Matsou. It's because of Lee that your daughter is still alive. Lee is not, as you so delicately put it, a 'low-class' ninja. He is one of the strongest and finest ninja that I have. He may not be from a powerful clan such as the Uchiha or Hyuuga, or a genius like Neji and Sasuke, but Lee has something that they lack." Neji frowned as he listened. "Lee has a big heart and a powerful soul. He works hard to prove to everyone that it doesn't take a genius or a member of a powerful clan to become an excellent ninja."

Matsou said nothing as Tsunade finished speaking. He wanted to hit something, to maybe **_hurt_** someone, but since that boy had a lot of people that cared for him and protected him, he couldn't lay a finger on him. If he did, there was no doubt in his mind that Tsunade would throw him in jail for abuse, and possibly throw away the key.

He grumbled and turned on his heels. He'll come back tomorrow to check up on his daughter, but right now, he needed to clear his head. He needed to get out of this hospital.

Tsunade watched him go and sighed as she massaged her temples. She stepped inside of Sakura's hospital room to call Naruto and Kiba out. There was a mission she wanted them to go on.

_**----------**_

_**AN**: Yes! I finally got this chapter DONE. Maybe I went a bit crazy with Matsou? Well, personally, I kinda like his personality...kinda strict for someone who owns a clothing shop, no? Well, what did you think of chapter 10? I s'pose it was okay...I hope it didn't seem to rush, because I'm pretty sure that is why it took me so long to get it out...that, and Naruto kills me. Maybe I should just kill him off later on and be done with it? ...Nah, I'm kidding...or am I? _

_The day is finally drawing to a close (about time! I mean, it lasted what? Five+ chapters?)! Soon, everything will be back to normal! Sakura can have her morning sickness as we go further into the pregnancy, the wedding will be planned, baby arrangements will be made, training will be postponed, and missions may or may not happen for Lee, and baby names will be decided! And why is Lee beating himself up over what is happening? And will Matsou ever learn to accept Lee and Sakura's relationship and the fact that he's gonna be a granddaddy (and that his baby girl's gonna get married?)? And...what's going to happen between Naruto and Hinata? ...Where IS Hinata? Find out..._

_Thanks all who reviewed. Continue reviewing and I'll do my best to make each and every chapter exciting for you all._

_**Next Chapter Preview:** He sniffed the air again and followed the alluring ordo until he came to a small uninterested looking bush. He raised an eyebrow and stuck both his hands into the bush to part it. What he saw made his eyes widen in fear._


	11. Chapter 11: My Intermission

_**The Power of Youth  
By SapphireWhiteTigress**_

**Chapter XI - My Intermission  
**

**_---------- _**

The wind howled in the night as five shadows leaped through the forest. Their mission was clear; to scout out the surroundings around Konoha for any potential threats. So far, no threats were found. Once they reached a certain point, one of the figures, obviously the leader of the group, pointed in four different directions and thus, they all quickly split up.

Naruto took to the treetops, jumping from branch to branch as the wind brushed through his golden locks. His thoughts went back to earlier that evening when Tsunade gave them the mission. The mission, she had said, was to scout Konoha for any signs of Sasuke or even Orochimaru, or any threats to Konoha. And if there were to find such threats, they were to report immediately back to the Hokage, and ultimately, dispatch a group of ANBU to take care of it. That was something Naruto didn't understand though. He was sure that if he ran into Sasuke again, he'll pulverize him.

Tsunade wouldn't have none of it as she reminded him of the last time he fought Sasuke, three years ago. Naruto huffed angrily as he remembered it. That was one time and he was inexperienced then. He was childish and foolish. Now, three years later, after training under the pervert Jiraiya, he had improved greatly. Of course, that meant that Sasuke had improved as well, but Naruto refused to lose this time.

Sasuke was **_still_** his friend and he would beat him to a bloody pulp, but he was determined to bring Sasuke home and get things back to the way they were. It was a fruitless effort, because deep down, he knew that things could never be the way they were.

He sighed and cleared his mind as he continued to search the area.

_**----------**_

"Arf!" Akamaru barked as he and Kiba made their way through the west side of the forest.

Kiba glanced up at his companion. "You got something, Akamaru?"

"Arf! Arf!" The dog confirmed.

Kiba grinned and sniffed the air. "Yeah, I can smell it too. C'mon, let's go check it out!" The two quickly made it to the source of the smell, which lead them to a small clearing in the forest. Looking around, Kiba couldn't find anything out of the ordinary and frowned. He sniffed the air again and followed the alluring odor until he came to a small uninteresting looking bush. He raised an eyebrow and stuck both his hands into the bush to part it. What he saw made his eyes widen in fear.

There were at least **_ten_** exploding tags.

"...Ah, shit." Kiba cursed and quickly flipped away.

An explosion rocked the area and shook the trees in the night.

_**-------------**_

The blast from the explosion nearly knocked Shikamaru out of a tree. Maintaining his balance, he looked into the direction the explosion came from and frowned in thought. That came from Kiba's location. Instantaneously, he sprinted towards the smoke that now clouded overhead him, fearing the worst.

It took him a few seconds before he reached the clearing that the explosion originated from and sighed in relief when he saw Kiba laying on the ground with swirls in his eyes and drool running down his chin. Occasionally, the dog-boy would twitch a limb.

Shikamaru knelt down and cautiously poked the other boy. "...You are so troublesome. Couldn't you tell that it was a trap?" His only reply was another twitch.

Akamaru, who didn't get caught in the explosion, barked pitifully at seeing his friend in pain. Poor Kiba, if only he hadn't decide to flip away at the last minute.

Shikamaru sighed as he lifted the boy up and tossed him over his shoulder. He didn't really feel like carrying him, but he couldn't trust an injured person on the back of an overgrown mutt. No offence to Akamaru, of course. He talked into his headpiece, "The area is secure, however, Kiba got caught in an explosion. I'm heading home now."

"_What? Dog-boy got caught in an explosion? The idiot! Alright, I'll meet you back at the gates. I've found no sign of Sasuke or Orochimaru. Or anything for that matter. This mission was a complete waste. I thought for sure that Sasuke would still be around."_ Was the response that came over his headpiece.

"_I also see no sign of any threats."_ Came the calm and quiet voice of Shino.

"_Area secure here too."_ Said the voice of Neji.

Shikamaru gave a curt nod as he dashed through the trees and headed towards the village. "Let's head back."

"_Hai."_ All three chorused at once.

_**----------**_

"Sakura-chan...I...do not think that this is a good idea..." Lee said nervously as Sakura practically dragged him to her house. Three days ago, after being in the hospital for almost a week, she was finally able to go home. Today was the first day that her parents and Tsunade had let her out of the house and during that time, she couldn't see Lee because of her father.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Come on Lee-kun. I wasn't able to spend time with you in little over a week…please?"

Lee would have given in right then and there, but something told him that if he were to walk through the doors to her house, nothing but disaster will come from it. "Sakura-chan…Why must we spend time at your house…?"

Sakura frowned. "Because, my father doesn't want me out for too long. **_And_** I believe that you two need to work a few things out." Sakura said as she released the hold on his hand to place hers on her hips. She tilted her head to the side to give a pointed look at the front door to the home she's been living in for almost seventeen years.

Lee sighed. He'll do anything for Sakura, but meeting her father again after what almost happened at the hospital was something he was unwilling to do. Even though Lee was a strong and capable ninja and he could just about get out of any trouble, he was slightly afraid of the burly man known as Haruno Matsou. Yes, Matsou even scared Rock Lee.

He took a deep breath. He wanted to make Sakura happy and she wanted him to settle things with her father. He would love to try, but Matsou just…doesn't seem like the reasonable type.

"Okay…Sakura-chan…" Sighing again, he added, "I will do anything for you…but, if I do not come out of this alive, tell my children that I love them."

Sakura laughed and playfully smacked him. "Lee-kun, don't be so dramatic, nothing's going to happen." _I hope…_ She added silently.

_**----------**_

"What is **_he_** doing here?" Matsou growled from his position on the couch.

Sakura and Lee were standing in the well furnished living room of her parents' house. Her father, of course, nearly went off the wall when Sakura brought Lee home with her. Miki glared at her husband as she took a seat next to him.

"Matsou, don't start." She warned.

Sakura smiled thankfully at her mother as she took Lee's hand in her own. She raised an eyebrow at him as she noticed how clammy his hands were and how nervous he actually was.

"Lee-kun…" She whispered to him.

Lee nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound of her voice. He turned to her and smiled weakly. He turned back to Matsou. He had no idea on what he should say to the older man that wouldn't result in a fight. He knew that they had to settle things, because this couldn't go on forever and it was upsetting Sakura.

Suddenly, he pictured himself in Matsou's shoes. What if **_his_** daughter got pregnant and she was only sixteen, like Sakura, and unmarried? Lee knew then that he would probably kill the poor kid that did that to his daughter.

_**----------**_

_**Initiate Dream Sequence…**_

"_Hey! Mom! Dad! Guess what!" A sixteen year old pink haired girl with thick pink eyebrows and lively green vibrant eyes ran into her parents' room. A much older Lee and Sakura glanced up at their daughter._

"_What?" Sakura asked._

"_I'm pregnant!" Their daughter yelled as if it was the best thing in the world._

_Sakura fainted and Lee's eyes widen. "What!"_

_Her twin brother walked into the room. "YOSH!" And then, he walked out. Everyone ignored him._

_Their daughter nodded. "Yep! Here's my boyfriend!" She suddenly pulled in an oddly familiar face._

"_GAARA!"_

_**---------**_

Lee was shocked at his own thoughts.

Sakura blinked at Lee as his eyes suddenly grew dark. "Eh, Lee-kun?"

"I am going to kill Gaara…" He murmured to himself.

Sakura was confused. "Eh?"

Matsou grew annoyed. "I'll ask again. What is he doing here?"

Sakura's eyes left that of her fiancé's irritated face to her father's constantly (it seems nowadays) enraged one. "Dad, I want you to apologize to Lee-kun."

Both Matsou and Lee glanced at the girl in surprise. "Um, Sakura-chan…" Lee started.

Matsou interrupted him as he stood up. "You want me to do **_what_**?"

"I. Want. You. To. Apologize." Sakura repeated, much slower than before.

Matsou stared at his daughter dumbfounded and turned to get some 'help' from his wife. She only shrugged her shoulders. Matsou growled and faced the two again. "I have no reason to apologize for anything."

Sakura sighed. She was getting a headache from her father's immaturity right now. "Dad, you owe Lee an apology for attacking him at the hospital. And for what you said about him." She narrowed her eyes as the words her father had uttered about Lee flowed through her mind.

Her father crossed his arms and scowled. "There is no way in hell will I ever…**_apologize _**to that kid."

Sakura threw her hands up in frustration. "Dad, you're impossible!" She had had about enough of her father's attitude. She turned on her heels and grabbed Lee's hand, pulling him behind her. "Come on, Lee-kun. We're leaving."

Matsou blinked. "Where do you think you're going?"

"Away." She said as the door slammed shut behind them.

Matsou sighed and dropped to the couch, placing his head in his hands. "Where have I gone wrong?"

Miki shook her head and smoothly rubbed his back. "Maybe if you stop trying to attack her boyfriend…" She trailed off.

Matsou looked at her. "Why are you acting some calm about this? She's your daughter too."

Miki nodded in thought. "That's true, but by law, she is an adult now and therefore, she's liable to make her own decisions." Miki took his hands in her own and squeezed them gently. "Dear, all we can do is be there for her."

Matsou remained silent.

_**-------**_

Together, Lee and Sakura walked down the crowded streets of Konoha, hand in hand. They were heading to Lee's own home when suddenly, someone shouted out to them.

"Hey, forehead-girl!"

They turned around to see Ino making her way to them, grinning from ear to ear. Following behind her were Shikamaru and Chouji. Shikamaru looked as if he rather be someplace else, and Chouji was happily munching on his never ending supply of chips.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "What is it, Ino-pig?"

Lee would never understand these two as they constantly called each other names. Oh well, he supposed it was a girl's thing.

Ino continued to grin. "Why didn't you tell me that you two were getting married!" She damn near shouted as she tried to contain her excitement. Shikamaru sighed. Of course, he was dragged into this mess against his will.

At Ino's shout, people on the street stopped and stared. Sakura groaned and glared at her. "You don't need to yell it to the world!"

Lee blinked and faced Sakura. "But, Sakura-chan…I would like the whole world to know how I feel about you." His eyes sparkled with passion as he said that and Sakura knew what was coming next. And she intensified her glare at Ino. Lee shouted at the top of his lungs as he pulled Sakura in a tight hug, swinging her around. "I love you more than words can express, Sakura-chan! And there is nothing in this world that can ever take that away! We will get married, have a lot of children, and grow old together!" He stopped spinning her and pulled her into a breathtaking kiss. Sakura's embarrassment was instantly forgotten.

Ino, as well as the other females on the street, swooned. If only their guy could be so sincere and opened such as that fuzzy-eyebrow teenager. Ino glared at Shikamaru. Shikamaru turned away from her as he noticed her looking at him.

"So troublesome…" He muttered.

Once the two lovers parted, Sakura legs felt like jell-o. She clung to Lee, ignoring the crowd on the street. In her mind, it was only her and Lee and the love they shared for each other.

Ino cleared her throat and ruined the loving moment between the two. "So, did you guys set a date yet?" She asked.

Sakura and Lee drew apart to look at her. Lee blinked. "A date for what?"

Ino sighed in exasperation. "For the wedding, of course!"

Sakura and Lee exchanged a look before Sakura answered Lee. "Um…no, not yet…we've only been engaged for little over a week…"

Ino shook her head before perking up. "Hey, Sakura, can I see your ring?"

Sakura nodded and lifted her left hand to show Ino the ring that now took permanent residence on her ring finger. Ino gasped as she gazed at the exquisite beauty of Sakura's engagement ring. Even Shikamaru was impressed, not that he'll say it out loud.

"Oh, wow." She said, peeking up at Lee who, in turn, blushed. "I never thought that you could pick out something as beautiful as this, Lee-san."

Lee grinned proudly at the ring that adored his Sakura-chan's finger. "It was from Gai-sensei!"

Ino cocked an eyebrow at Lee. Well, who would've thought? "Your sensei gave you this ring?"

The happy young man nodded energetically. "Of course! Gai-sensei is the epitome of fashion and style! Only he could pick out such a lovely ring for my Sakura-chan!"

Ino, Sakura, and Shikamaru sweatdropped. Chouji, who was long forgotten, went on to better things, such as participating in the sale that Ichiraku was currently having.

"Right…" Ino said slowly. She shrugged it off and pulled Sakura over to Ichiraku. "This is cause for a celebration! Shikamaru's paying!" She declared.

Shikamaru stared at the girls in bewilderment. He had no intention of paying for them…ah, why was she such a troublesome person? Shikamaru had no answer to that question so he just stuffed his hands in his pockets and trailed behind them. He stopped when Lee called out to him.

"Shikamaru?"

Shikamaru craned his neck to look at the older boy. "What?"

Lee walked over to Shikamaru and stopped next to him, keeping his eyes on the pink haired girl he loved more than life itself as she nervously laughed at something Ino had said. He turned his large round eyes to the lazy Nin. "Have you tracked down Sasuke yet?" He asked. After three years, he knew that the search for Sasuke had continued again. He would be part of the search, but Tsunade told him that Sakura needed him more and he wouldn't dare leave her side, for she is far more important than looking for that traitorous Uchiha.

Shikamaru regrettably shook his head. "No. Tsunade thinks that he's back in enemy soil. There's nothing we can do right now." He shrugged and made his way over to the ramen stand.

Lee sighed. Truthfully, he wanted to find Sasuke and beat the living hell out of him for ever hurting Sakura, but there was little he could do right now. He always believed that what goes around comes around and Fate wasn't going to let the last Uchiha get away unpunished. With that in mind, he made his way over to his future wife and friends.

_**----------**_

_**AN**: Chapter 11 for all you hungry people. Not what I had planned, but it'll do. What's going to happen in the next chapter? Wedding plans will be made, so will the engagement party and…what's this? A bachelor's party? But they're under age! **–shakes head**- I guess in the ninja society, it's a bit different, hm? Sakura and Lee start to get anxious as the due date gets closer and closer to arriving. And, seriously, what's up with Hinata and Naruto…and….Matsou? Find out all this and more in the next chapter! _

_Thanks are in order: I like to thank all my friends and everyone who reviewed this story. I'm amazed at how great it's doing. Thanks everyone. _

_**Next Chapter Preview**: Lee wasn't at all surprised with her request as it had been going on for almost a week. He asked Tsunade-sama about it and the Hokage told him that late night food cravings were part of the pregnancy for most women. He nodded at her. "Of course, Sakura-chan. What do you want?"_


	12. Chapter 12: My Battle with the Blender

_**The Power of Youth  
By SapphireWhiteTigress**_

**Chapter XII – My Battle with the Blender  
**

_**---------**_

One week later, everyone could tell that Sakura was indeed, pregnant, as it became more pronounce. Sakura wasn't too happy about it either, as she couldn't fit into any of her favorite clothes. Her mother had brought her some maternity clothing and she felt ridiculous in them. Lee, on the other hand, loved it. He was excited to be a father. Sure, Sakura was a bit excited too, but you tried carrying twins and have **_your_** stomach expending. It wasn't a walk in the park.

She decided though, that the best part about being pregnant was that Lee would give her anything she wanted. Well, he already did give her whatever she wanted (not to sound spoil or anything, but let's face it, Lee DOES spoil her) as he was willing to go out at 2:30 in the morning just to get her some guacamole ice cream yesterday.

"Lee?" She asked in the darkened room that they shared whenever she came over to stay the night. She hadn't slept in her own room ever since that day one weeks ago after finally being able to get out of that house. Her father just drives her crazy and she just didn't want to be there with him right now. And besides, she loves being by Lee's side. "Are you asleep?"

"No…" He said tiredly, even though he was on the verge of sleep. If Sakura needed anything, sleep could wait. He rolled over on his side to get a better look at the girl next to him and placed a hand on her rounded stomach. "Are you okay, Sakura-chan?"

She nodded as she rested on her back and placed her hand on top of his. "Could you…run to the store for me?"

Lee wasn't at all surprised with her request as it had been going on for almost a week. He asked Tsunade-sama about it and the Hokage told him that late night food cravings were part of the pregnancy for most women. He nodded at her. "Of course, Sakura-chan. What do you want?"

Sakura looked thoughtful for a moment before smiling in the dark. But Lee could always see her bright smile in the darkest of nights. "Pickle strawberry flavor pineapple juice with whipped cream." She said with a slight blush on her cheeks.

Lee turned green at the weird combination of food choice. "…Pickle strawberry flavor pineapple juice?" He repeated.

"With cream." She added.

Lee nodded and slowly stood up, moving away from the warmth of her body. He was only dressed in a pair of boxers and a white muscle shirt. Sakura had to admit, he looked damn sexy in his nightwear. Lee glanced at the clock next to the bed and saw that it was only 12:32. At least the 24 hour store was opened. He pulled on a pair of old jeans he had laying around (he didn't feel like fighting with his green jumpsuit at 12 o'clock at night) and leaned down to kiss Sakura on the forehead. "I will be right back and if I am not back within-"

Sakura cut him off. "Just get the stuff, Lee."

Lee grinned sheepishly. "Of course, Sakura-chan!"

As he left the house a thought suddenly hit him. Do they even HAVE pickle strawberry flavor pineapple juice with cream? He made a mental list of ingredients to get and wondered if he even had a blender. Hopefully, he did. He doesn't remember since he rarely used one anyway.

The moon was out high in the night sky as Lee slowly made his way to the 24 Hour Store (ironically enough, that's the actual name of the store and is the only store in Konoha that happens to be opened 24 hours a day). He walked in the store and listened to the jingle of the bell. Looking around, he waved to the cashier and walked around the corner to the refrigerated food items. He needed pickles, strawberries, pineapple juice and whipped cream. He would definitely go for the whipped cream and strawberries, because he, himself, enjoyed them (in more ways than one…naughty Lee!), but the pickles…he wasn't too fond of those. He just preferred the sweet stuff rather than the sour. He shrugged it off and grabbed the items needed to satisfy his pregnant fiancée. He was glad that nobody else aside from himself and the cashier were in there, he wasn't up to waiting in a line.

Placing the items on the counter, the cashier (a young male) raised an eyebrow at Lee. It wasn't his place to ask about his customers' choice in food, but this was just weird. He said nothing as he ringed him up and tallied the total. Lee paid the man, bid him a goodnight, and left the store.

He opened the door to his apartment as quietly as he could so he wouldn't disturb Sakura. Checking the clock, he took note that it took him twenty minutes to get the items as it was now nearing 1 o'clock. He placed the bag of pickles, strawberries, pineapple juice and whipped cream on the table.

He looked around the kitchen and tried to remember what the blender looked like. He checked in the cabinet and found a barely used blender and grinned in triumph as he pulled the blender out from its hiding place. He set it on the counter and stared at it.

"How…do I use it?" He asked out loud. The blender offered no answer.

He went over to the bag he brought home with him and took all the items out of the bag, setting them neatly on the counter. Looking from the blender to the pineapple juice, he grabbed the carton and poured it into the bowl of the blender. He put the carton of pineapple juice on the table when the blender was halfway full. After that, he picked up the jar of pickles and scrunched up his nose as he opened the jar. Taking out one long pickle, he dropped that into the blender too. Finally, he picked off the steams of the strawberries before dumping a few with the other ingredients. Once done, he grinned and turned it on.

Unfortunately, he forgot to put the top on the blender and in a matter of seconds, he was covered in pickle strawberry pineapple juice. Lee slipped on the mess as he tried to turn the blender off. "Ah!"

He continued to slip and slide as he pulled himself up on the table and slammed his hand down on the off-switch. The blender jumped around the countertop, avoiding his hand. It was as if it were possessed by some demon. It continued to throw large amounts of goop on him, almost covering Lee from head to toe in the green mess. Lee used his quick speed and pressed a finger down on the off-switch before the blender could escape him again.

It finally came to a stop, but not before spitting the last bit of goop in his face. Lee stood up and glared at it. "I will not allow you to defeat me…" He said slowly before redoing the task. He was determined to make Sakura her…pickle strawberry pineapple juice with whipped cream.

This time, he remembered to put the top on before turning it on again. He cringed at the loud whirling sound it made. After one minute, he turned it off and stared in disgust at the puke green concoction with a tint of red from the strawberries. He poured the goop in a blue cup and added the whipped cream. He wasn't sure how anyone could drink this. Finally, he plucked a straw in it.

He took the cup into his bedroom, still covered in the remnants from the disaster earlier and more tired than he was when he left.­­­ It was extremely quiet as he entered the room and he became alert. Glancing around, he noticed the lump in the bed and cautiously made his way to her, hoping that the gut feeling he was feeling was wrong. Slowly, he reached forward and pulled the covers down…

And found nothing. Panic ripped through his body as he frantically searched the area, the pickle strawberry pineapple juice with (now melted) whipped cream was still clutched in his hand. Some of the greenish stuff started slipping down the glass and onto his hand, giving it a sticky feel to it, but Lee ignored it as he hastily placed the glass on the nightstand. He pulled the covers all the way to the foot of the bed. He then searched under the bed, but found no Sakura. There wasn't even a sign of anything that might have told him that she's been kidnapped. He was so scared that tears started to well up in his eyes. He then noticed that the window was opened and instantly ran over to it and stuck his head outside. A gentle breeze rustled through his hair as he looked up and down the street. He saw nothing but a flickering lamppost.

Lee was beyond worried. He was so worried that he felt incredibly sick to his stomach. Where was his Sakura-chan! As he was about to leap out of the window and into the streets, he heard an odd sound behind him. He blinked and turned around. The sound he heard was…

The flushing of a toilet? And to confirm his suspicions, the bathroom door opened and out walked the pink-haired angel he was just worrying over. Relief washed over him like a tidal wave. Immediately, he was on her like a crazed ninja (ignoring the fact that Rock Lee is indeed a crazed ninja) and hugged her so tightly that the air in her lungs was nonexistent.

She gasped in surprise. "Lee-Lee-kun!" She struggled to get out of his iron death grip, but Lee held on firmly.

"Sakura-chan! I thought something happened to you! I was so worried!" He cried out as youthful and manly tears streamed down his face.

Sakura sweatdropped. She wished he would let her go. It felt like he was crushing her and she felt sick. "Lee-kun! I can't breathe! And the babies!" She shouted.

Lee immediately released her, the tears still rolling down his face as his cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "Sakura-chan, I am so sorry! Please forgive me! I was so worried about you, that I thought something might have happened to you! I would do ten thousand laps around Konoha on my-"

"Lee-kun," Sakura said warningly, shutting him up before he started on with his nonsense. "I was only in the bathroom. Normal people use it when they need to relieve themselves." She stated as if she was talking to a three year old child.

Lee laughed nervously at how foolish he acted. He was just so worried that he didn't even think of the possibility that she could've gone to the restroom. To make up for it, he grabbed Sakura's pickle strawberry pineapple juice and handed it out to her.

"I made the…pickle strawberry pineapple juice for you, Sakura-chan!" He said proudly and puffed his chest in a manly fashion as if he had just accomplished the greatest mission known to man. Actually, he considered it a perilous mission, after the battle with the blender…

Sakura took it from him with a bright smile. "Oh, thanks Lee-kun!" She thanked him and started slurping up the substance through the straw. Lee watched in amazement as it disappeared within minutes. For a second, he was extremely glad that guys didn't get pregnant. Oh, the horror that would bring.

Once she was done (and it took only five seconds to finish it), she placed the empty glass on the bedside table and took a seat on the bed. She looked at the clock next to her and yawned. It was blinking 1:45 AM. She scooted over as Lee took a seat next to her with his back against the wall.

Lee lifted up his arm as she leaned up against him. He loves these small intimate moments where they could just spend time in each other's arms. He smiled as he felt her snuggle against him.

Sakura sniffled. "Lee-kun, you smell." But she made no move to get up from his side.

Lee blinked in surprise and remembered the battle zone in the kitchen. He swore that the blender was out to get him for being neglected for years.

"Ah…Sakura-chan, about that…" He started, "As I was fixing you your…pickle strawberry pineapple juice…"

"With cream,"

"With cream," He grinned down at her. She was so cute when she did that. "I had an unfortunate battle with the…blender."

Sakura blinked open her eyes at that. "You lost to a blender?"

Lee sweatdropped. "Not…exactly?"

Sakura smiled and shrugged it off. It was late but there was something they needed to talk about. "Lee-kun, we need to talk about something."

"What is that, Sakura-chan?" Lee asked while looking down at her as she rested in his arms.

Sakura took a deep breath. "Ino brought up an interesting point yesterday when I went to go see her." She said, thinking back to her time with Ino and a few of their friends yesterday. They all decided to hang out (her, Ino, Tenten, Naruto, and Shikamaru – Hinata was nowhere to be found (they haven't seen her in almost three weeks and they're starting to get worried) and Neji, Kiba, and Shino were on a mission, Lee was off training around that time). "She wanted to know if we're going to have the wedding before or after the babies are born."

Lee looked up at the ceiling in thought. "When would you like to have it, Sakura-chan?" He asked as he brought his eyes back to his beautiful girlfriend.

Sakura frowned in concentration. "I was thinking after the babies are born because I don't want to be wobbling down the isle like a penguin."

Lee chuckled. "I think Sakura-chan would make a beautiful penguin."

Sakura narrowed her eyes and pinched him. "Shut up, you."

Lee just smiled sheepishly and rubbed his arm where Sakura pinched him.

Sakura continued to talk. "I was thinking that since the babies are due in July, we could have the wedding a week or two after that."

Lee nodded enthusiastically. His dreams were slowly coming true. He was going to marry the woman he loved and they were going to have the most wonderful family imaginable. He just couldn't wait for the day that he would say his vows to her. In fact, he already started writing them…two pages worth of love, passion, and youth. And to think, that's not even **_half_** of what he wants to say. "That is wonderful, Sakura-chan! Our children can bear the rings!"

Sakura sweatdropped. "Lee-kun, they won't even be old enough to roll over, I don't think that they'll be able to even **_hold_** the rings without sticking them in their mouths."

That was when Lee realized his mistake. As if the training he had with Gai-sensei a couple weeks ago wasn't evidence enough, Lee knew nothing of babies. That could also be because he has never, ever been around anyone under the age of eight before in his whole life. He started to panic.

"Sakura-chan!" He exclaimed, his eyes wide with fright and terror. Sakura looked up at him with confusion in her green eyes. "What if…what if I am a bad father? What if they do not like me? What if…" He trailed off.

Sakura pushed away from him to get a better look at his face. "Lee-kun, you worry too much. You'll be a wonderful father and I'm pretty sure that they will love you!" She kissed his cheek and smiled reassuringly at him.

Lee's eyes instantly filled with large comical tears. "Oh, Sakura-chan, you are so nice to me!" He pulled her in his arms and hugged her tightly to him, catching her by surprise.

After a moment of difficult breathing, Sakura finally got Lee to release her and she glared at him. "Lee-kun, lay off the big bear hugs for a while, okay? That can't be healthy for the babies."

Lee nodded and yawned. "Maybe we should get some sleep? You are supposed to be seeing Hokage-sama later today, right?"

Sakura nodded and scooted under the covers, bringing Lee with her. "Yeah, I also have to check in with my parents, even though I really rather not." She gave an exasperated sigh as she snuggled in Lee's arms.

"Everything will turn out for the best, Sakura-chan." Ah, Lee, always looking on the bright side and ignoring the fact that Sakura's father is out to get him. He sweatdropped when he thought of that.

Sakura laughed but it was immediately cut short with a yawn. Before she would place her head on Lee's chest, however… "Lee-kun, get clean up. You really look and smell like you have had baby food dumped all over you."

Lee frowned and stood up. "Hai, Sakura-chan, I would take a quick shower and if I-"

"Lee-kun, do you have to do that for **_everything_**?"

Lee grinned and leaned down to place a chaste kiss on Sakura's forehead before going to the bathroom to take a quick shower. If that blender was an actual ninja, he would surely be dead by now. Cursed blenders…Even though Lee wasn't one to hold a grudge; he definitely held one against that…machine.

Ten minutes later, Lee's shower was done and over with. He dressed in his trendy black boxers (a gift from Sakura-chan) and cotton green pajama bottoms. He left the bathroom and flicked off the switch. Darkness instantly filled the rooms and he couldn't tell where he was going. It was a good thing that he knew his apartment inside and out. After navigating through the darkness, he finally found his way in his room and to his bed, where Sakura seems to already be sound asleep. He slipped under the covers quietly so he doesn't disturb his sleeping wife-to-be. He slowly snaked his arms around her waist and pulled her gently to his side. Automatically, she rolled over and rested her head on his chest and gave out a blissful sigh.

"Goodnight, Sakura-chan. I love you." He whispered in the darkness and allowed sleep to take over.

_**-------**_

It was 2:25 AM and the moon filled the sky over Konoha. The dark clouds hovered in the sky, surrounding the bright moon and casting the village in darkness. One lone figure was standing outside of some large, familiar clan's house, small pebbles in his hand and a wicked sly grin on his face. She had avoided him for too long and it was time to confront her. Sure, it was 2:30 in the morning and no doubt she was peacefully sleeping in her own room, but he couldn't wait any longer. He was losing sleep over this and they needed to talk. And besides, he never really had much common sense to wait until later, but since she kept dodging him and avoiding him like he was the plague, he had no other choice. She was going to talk to him or he was going to make a scene.

He took one small pebble, prayed that the room he was aiming at was Hinata's, and let it ripped. The pebble tapped against the window, creating a small 'ding' before rebounding off. He waited a few seconds to see if it was heard. There was no reaction from the resident inside. Frowning, he took another pebble and threw it at the same window. This time, the light flicked on and a shadowy figure appeared behind the curtains. He grinned, waiting for the figure to see him.

Unfortunately, that **_was_** the wrong window as the curtains were drawn and the irritated face of **_Neji_** appeared. Naruto eyes widen as he quickly hid himself from view so that Neji couldn't spot him. He hid in some bushes where he could keep an eye on Neji but at the same time, so the other boy couldn't see him.

Neji poked his head out of the window and glared around the area, activating the Byakugan. His eyes scanned the area until they stopped on a figure trying to 'hide' in some nearby bushes. Instantly, he could tell that the idiot that was throwing rocks at **_his_** window and disturb him from his blissful sleep was Naruto. His hair cascaded down his face as he withdrew his head back into his room. He wasn't in the mood with Naruto's stupidity. He'll deal with the idiot later.

Once Naruto was sure that Neji was gone, he got out of his hiding spot. He glanced around and randomly picked a window on the other side of the house. He crossed his fingers, grabbed a pebble, and threw it at what he hoped was Hinata's bedroom window and prayed that it wasn't Hiashi's. In a matter of seconds, the light in that room flickered on. Naruto's smile widen as he saw the sleepy figure of the girl he has been trying to reach.

The window opened and Naruto could see Hinata's shock pale eyes looking down at him. Naruto grinned and wave. "Hey, Hinata-chan!" He whispered loudly. It was pretty hard to whisper loud enough for her to hear him without shouting loud enough to wake the whole neighborhood.

Hinata was torn between shutting the window and hiding under her bed for the rest of the night or going down there to see Naruto. She wasn't sure what she could say to him after avoiding him for so long. Why, oh why, was he here now? And at two o'clock in the morning?

"N-Naruto-k-kun?" She stuttered, trying to keep the tears at bay as she remembered the night in the rain. The night she kissed him.

"Hey, Hinata-chan, can we talk?"

_**--------**_

_**AN**: I'm not too thrilled with this chapter…I don't know why either…I hope everyone likes it, though. Please, send me your reviews so I can possibly make the next chapter better for you guys, m'kay? Even though this chapter was a blast to write, I'd like to make it enjoyable for my dedicated readers. Next chapter may take a while to come out (and that is why this one came so early). Until next chapter, continue to review. Thanks everyone._

_I like to thank Sambers and EIT for their help in beta-reading my story for me. Thanks guys. _

_**Next Chapter Preview**:_ _"N-no…it's…it's okay, N-Naruto-kun…" Hinata gently interrupted him. She wanted to turn away from him, but she couldn't, not with his hand on her chin and his eyes being so…hypnotic._


	13. Chapter 13: My Party Planners

**_Review Replies for Chapter 12 – Replying in the order I received them in._**

_**I'm replying to reviews because you guys took the time to actually review me and that means a lot. –glomps all-**_

_**Snoopy Girl **– Thanks. I'm glad you liked it. I'll finish as soon as I can.  
**Animelover5.6** – Wow…I'm…I'm kinda speechless. I'm really glad you like this lil' story of mine! It means a lot that you're reviewing! **–happy tears**- Your own stories are great, too! Thanks so much! –**glomps**-  
**InvaderWeb** – Hehehe, yeah, bad blender! **–smacks blender**- Thanks for reviewing!  
**GaarasGurl** – Thanks, well, here's your next chapter! I wish you luck on your fic!  
**EnduranceInTribulation** – Kou! Your reviews are always the best! Without you, I am nothing! Thanks so much, they make me really, really happy! I'm glad I have someone like you behind me. **-huggles**- You're the one person who kept me from quitting and helped me through all the rough times and crappy chapters.  
**Neccor** – I don't even know what a filler is. Lol. But, thank you for your review. I'm glad the story hasn't… 'lost its touch'. I thought your last review was…different. And about Sasuke…you'll see….and, to see if the twins are Identical or Fraternal twins…you'll see that in a few chapters too. But, if you think that's something, wait until you see when the twins are born. Thanks! You're one of my most dedicated reviewers! –**grins**-  
**Hiss** – Yeah, that part made me laugh too. This chapter was fairly amusing…Thanks for the review!  
**Funky Platypus **– Hahaha, yeah, I can picture that happening. Lee's so silly sometimes. And I rather enjoyed writing the Lee vs. Evil Blender myself. XD Thanks for reviewing!  
**anissa** – I have it all planned out! You just gotta wait and see, it'll happen soon enough! –**thumbs up**-  
**Depsycho **– Yosh! I'm glad that you liked this chapter! Yeah, I guess the whole…pickle strawberry pineapple juice with whipped cream was worth it. XD  
**Lotus84** – Thanks, I'm glad you liked it! Here's the next chapter, I hope it's just as good as the previous ones!  
**mangocloud **– I think now that the Lee and blender thing is a…ah, classic? Maybe…masterpiece? Nah, I'm kidding. And, haha…It would have been funnier if he had gotten Hinata's FATHER window instead…hmm…should've gone with that one…oh well, thanks for your review! It made me happy!  
**Donna** – Thanks!  
**GoodDevil1989** – Um, thanks. XD  
**Angelina** – Yosh! Thnaks._

_**----------**_

_**The Power of Youth  
By SapphireWhiteTigress**_

**Chapter XIII - My Party Planners  
**

_**----------**_

"_Hey, Hinata-chan, can we talk?" _

Hinata blinked shyly as she gazed down at Naruto. For some reason, this reminded her of an old play that she had watched with her mother before she passed away. What was the name of it? _Romeo and Juliet_. Now that she remembers…it didn't have a happy ending.

"Naruto-kun…wh-what are you do-doing…here?" She whispered.

Even though her voice was soft and barely audible, Naruto (with his keen hearing) heard her as if she shouted the words. "I wanna talk to you, Hinata-chan…" He said again, blushing slightly. There were so many things he wanted to ask her, like why he hadn't seen her in the past three weeks and why did she kissed him.

"B-but, Naruto-kun…" She continued to whisper, afraid that her sister (who was sleeping in the room next to hers), Neji, or (god forbid) her father would hear her.

Naruto frowned at Hinata's unwillingness to talk to him. "Hinata-chan…move back."

The girl blinked in confusion, but did as she was told and seconds later, Naruto was standing in her room. She nearly shrieked in surprise and would have fallen on her backside if Naruto hadn't caught her by the waist. He pulled her back to her feet and grinned at her before releasing his hold on her.

Hinata blushed as she realized that she was only dressed in a thin purple nightgown that went past her knees. And the boy of her dreams was standing in her bedroom. She felt exposed and embarrassed.

Naruto stared Hinata directly in the eyes, trying to convince his eyes to stay above her neck. His cheeks burned with a fiery red blush that could rival any of Hinata's. Why didn't he wait until she was **_fully dressed_** before jumping into her bedroom window? Oh, right, common sense was nonexistent for the loudmouth blond, especially with years of hanging around that pervert Jiraiya.

"N-Naruto-kun?" Hinata questioned as she cast her pale eyes to the floor.

Naruto took a deep breath before speaking. "Why…have you been avoiding me lately?"

Hinata blinked back the sudden tears that threatened to spill from her eyes. She must be strong. She had already showed enough weakness around the person she admires and she will no longer give in to it. "I…" She found that she could not find her voice. Nervously, she tapped her two index fingers together, trying to find a good excuse for not wanting to see Naruto. Truthfully, the only reason she hid from him was because she was afraid that Naruto would hate her for what she did that night. The memories of the rain, sitting with him, and then kissing him flashed into her mind

Naruto took a step closer to the girl and frowned when she backed away from him. "Hinata-chan…are you…afraid of me?" The hurt was evident in his voice. Everyone hated him, feared him, then why shouldn't she?

Hinata snapped her eyes up to look at him, her mouth open in shock. She slowly shook her head. "N-No, Naruto-kun…"

"Then what is it?" Naruto asked softly, almost whispering it. He felt…strange, when he was around Hinata. Like, there was something fluttering around in the pit of his stomach. The feeling was indescribable and he wasn't sure if he liked the feeling too much. The kiss that they briefly shared flashed in his mind.

"I…I…" She stuttered, looking into Naruto's crystal blue eyes. She wanted to turn away from them. She didn't want to fall again. She didn't want to get hurt.

Naruto reached a hand out to the girl and winced as she flinched at his touch. His hand slowly trended through her long hair. He always thought she had beautiful hair. "…Why did you kiss me that day? Why…did you run away?"

Hinata felt like she was on fire as he touched her. She wanted to fling herself in his arms and tell him how much she loved him. How much she had always loved him. How she longed to be his one and only and his soul mate. She wanted nothing more than to grow old with him. To be with him no matter what. Through the good times and bad. To help chase away his demons and be his strength and to just _**be** _there for him.

She moved to break eye contact with the boy, but he made sure she wouldn't do that as the same hand that was in her hair gently held her chin between his thumb and index finger. She stared up into his eyes and noticed something shimmering in their depths. She could see into his soul.

Naruto stared into her own eyes, hypnotized by their beauty. Why was he doing this? Why was he even here? Why was he feeling this way whenever he was around Hinata? His feelings for the girl were growing stronger and stronger with each tick of the clock. He liked her. He liked her a lot…but she was sweet and innocent. She deserved someone better…

Someone who wasn't him, the vessel that imprisons the demon only known as Kyuubi. He withdrew his hand from her chin, but she took the initiative once more and grabbed his hand, holding it to her cheek. Their eyes locked and Naruto found himself wanting to kiss her again. To feel the soft texture of her lips against his own once more.

But he couldn't. If she knew what was inside of him, she would hate him and he couldn't bare the thought of someone else hating him for what resides inside him.

"Hinata-chan…I…"

"N-no…it's…it's okay, N-Naruto-kun…" Hinata gently interrupted him. She wanted to turn away from him, but she couldn't, not with his thumb unconsciously caressing her cheek and his eyes being so…hypnotic.

Naruto shook his head. "Hinata-chan…" He glanced over his shoulder, reluctantly breaking eye contact, and looked out the window into the blanket of darkness that covered over Konoha. He turned his eyes back to the girl. "Walk with me, Hinata-chan?"

Hinata was surprised that Naruto would make such a request, especially in the middle of the night. Was he here to torment her for that kiss? To tease her because she could never have him? "A…walk?"

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, it's a nice night…and…I really need to talk to you. Please, Hinata-chan?"

Hinata slowly nodded and timidly removed her face from Naruto's hand. "I…I have to…to change…" She said quietly, looking down at the floor as a small blush crept across her face.

Naruto nodded sheepishly. "Alright, I'll wait outside." He said as he headed to Hinata's window and jumped to the ground below.

As Naruto waited for Hinata to get dressed, he started thinking of what he should say to her. He tried to keep his mind from thinking of how she looked in her nightgown, a side of her he never dreamt of seeing. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

Seconds later, he opened his eyes and turned to see that Hinata had joined him outside her house. He must have been too preoccupied with his thoughts that he didn't even hear her jump from the window. He grinned at her, that feeling whenever he was around her returning.

"Wanna get going?" He asked, leading out of the Hyuuga complex.

Hinata nodded and slowly followed behind the boy. For five whole minutes, neither said anything as they walked the streets of Konoha. Naruto was working up the courage to talk to her, while Hinata was enjoying his company.

"Why did you kiss me that day?" Naruto suddenly asked again, but he kept walking, with his hands in his pockets as if he hadn't even uttered a word.

Hinata stayed silent for a moment. She kissed him because she loved him. Wasn't it obvious? Didn't he see what he was doing to her?

"I…" She tried, but the words wouldn't come to her. She didn't want her heart to break more than it already was.

Naruto stopped walking, almost causing Hinata to bump into him. He turned around and looked her straight in the eyes before saying, "Hinata-chan, do you like me?" His eyes pleaded with her to answer.

Hinata looked like a deer caught in headlights as he asked that question. She wanted to run away from here and to never look back, but she needed to stop running. She needed to face her problems and she needed to tell him how she feels. "I...y-yes…N-Naruto-kun…" She whispered as the tears fell from her eyes. "I…I love you…" She finally confessed to him.

Naruto was shocked, to say the less. He expected that she liked him, maybe a little, but he never thought it was possible that someone could actually **_love_** him. It seemed so…surreal, like an impossible, unreachable dream. He wasn't sure how he should respond. If she knew…if she knew about the Kyuubi…she would regret saying those words to him.

**_Just tell her and get it over with, brat._** The all too familiar voice of the Kyuubi said inside his mind.

Naruto growled in annoyance, low enough so Hinata couldn't hear him. _'Stay out of this, damn fox.'_

_**Hey, I'm just trying to help your stupid ass.**_

'_If I needed your help, I'll ask.' _Naruto replied back in irritation.

Hinata thought that the irritation she saw in Naruto's eyes were directed at her and so, she turned away from him, her heart breaking further. "I-I'm s-sorry, Naruto-kun…" And she ran, for the second time, away from the boy she loves…the boy who didn't love her back.

Naruto snapped out of his subconscious argument. Hinata was running away from him, again. Why was he always screwing something up?

'_Don't stand here like an idiot! Run after her!'_ He ran after her.

The tears that fell from Hinata eyes trailed behind her like crystal diamonds that were discarded in the wind. She was always running away…and she hated it.

"Hinata-chan! Please wait!" The voice of Naruto called out behind her but she continued to blindly run away from him. Unfortunately, the tears that blurred her vision prevented her from seeing the small stone lying conveniently on the ground. She tripped over it and fell. Sadden and frustrated, Hinata refused to move as she sat them, her legs tucked under her as she buried her face in her hands, sobbing brokenly.

As Naruto neared her, he could clearly hear her sobs and they tore at his heart. It was painful to hear the one person that actually loved him cry like that. She shouldn't be crying those tears, especially not because of him. He slowly stepped towards her until he was a few inches from her back. He carefully knelt down behind her, unsure of what he should do. He took a deep breath and prayed that for once in his life he would do the right thing. He wrapped his arms around the girl and pulled her to him, ignoring the pain in his knees from the rocks on the ground.

Hinata's eyes widen in shock as she felt his arms around her and his forehead resting on the back of her head. "Hinata-chan, please, don't cry…" Naruto whispered into her ear, sounding as if he was crying too. He probably was…he was always so sensitive like that, she knew. "I don't like it when you cry, especially because of something I did…I'm sorry, Hinata-chan…" His arms wrapped more tightly around her, more securely, and for once in her life…she felt safe.

Naruto continued to speak before she could utter a word or escape from his grasp. "…I've been doing a lot of thinking and…I care about you a lot Hinata-chan…" He said, gathering up his thoughts and courage to go on. "You're the only person to ever care about me like this. I thought I liked Sakura-chan, because she was pretty and smart but she never really noticed me. Not like you had. But…"

Hinata tightly closed her eyes to squeeze back the tears. He was going to tell her that she wasn't good enough for him, that he could never be with someone like her. She was too weak, she was – and then she paused. No, Naruto wasn't like that. She **_knew_** Naruto. Naruto didn't think she was weak. No, Naruto was one of the first people in her life – aside from her sensei, Kiba, and Shino – to think she was strong, that she was more than what and who people thought she was. He gave her strength when she had none of her own; he was her confidence, her savior. He saved her from herself.

She waited for him to continue, allowing the feel of his arms around her to take her to a place she has never been before. She wanted this moment to last forever. It was just the two of them, under the bright moon and the wind gently blowing through their hair.

"…But there are things…" He paused. In his voice, she could sense the hurt he felt and wondered why. He continued. "Things that…that you wouldn't like. That you would hate me for….I can't bear the thought of you hating me, Hinata-chan."

Hinata blinked open her eyes and wished that she could look into his. "H-hate you…?" Her voice was hoarse and it slightly hurt to talk. "I…I c-could never…hate you, N-Naruto-kun…n-no matter what you-you did…"

Naruto smiled sadly, hiding his face in her beautiful dark hair. She smelled like lavender. "Trust me, Hinata-chan. You'll hate me for this. Everyone does."

Hinata shook her head softly and her hair rubbed against Naruto's nose, slightly tickling it a little. "N-No Naruto-kun…I c-could never hate you…" She whispered again. She meant it when she said that there was absolutely nothing that could ever make her change her mind about loving him.

Naruto had the sudden urge to tell her everything about the Kyuubi being inside of him. He wanted to so desperately, so he could have someone to confine in, someone who would stick with him no matter what. Would Hinata still want to be with him once the secret was finally out? He could only hope.

"Do you really…love me?" Naruto asked softly, his voice muffled by her silk-like hair. Her hair felt nice, something he could enjoy running his fingers through. He felt her nod and heard her voice afterwards.

"I…I do…m-more than…an-anything…"

It took Naruto a few seconds before responding. "I'm…glad." He withdraw his head from where it nestled in her hair and stood up, pulling Hinata with him. The joint in his knees popped painfully, but he ignored them. He turned Hinata around in his arms. He was glad that he was a good five-six inches taller than the girl as he looked down at her in his arms. It felt…right. Like she belonged there. "If…If I tell you something, would you still love me?"

"Yes." Both with surprised of the blunt and straightforward answer that harbored no hesitation.

Naruto grinned as he gazed down at her, his long bangs shadowing his eyes in darkness. "You promise?"

Hinata nodded.

Taking one last deep breath and slowly letting it out, Naruto begin telling Hinata everything that he wanted to tell her. "Remember the Kyuubi attack on the village sixteen years ago?" At her nod, he continued, "You were told that the Fourth Hokage destroyed it, weren't you?" She nodded again. "Well, he wasn't destroyed like all the adults wanted you to believe, Hinata-chan. He was sealed inside of a newborn child."

Hinata nodded for a third time, not really following. What did that have to do with anything?

…Unless…

Hinata's eyes widen as the realization dawn on her.

Naruto nodded sadly. "Yeah, I was that newborn child. For sixteen years, I bared the burden of the demon fox, Kyuubi. That's why everyone hates me, because I am the vessel for that demon, the demon that destroyed this village." He turned his head away from her. "…I'll understand if you…well, you know, hate me too. It's only natural. After all, the Kyuubi killed a lot of people and destroyed families…"

Newly fresh tears sprung into the girl's eyes. She flung herself in Naruto's arms, thoroughly surprising him. "N-Naruto-kun…I'm s-sorry …" She sobbed into his jacket. Naruto nervously wrapped his arms around her again and held her close to him. "I…I love you…"

"Thanks, Hinata-chan," he said. "For everything. You're the first person to accept me without turning away." He suddenly grinned as he pulled away from her. "Hey, wanna go get some ramen with me?" He said, breaking the magical moment between the two.

Hinata blushed. "B-But…the ramen stand…is-isn't open…"

Naruto blinked and frowned. "Oh, yeah, that's right. Alright, I'll take you back home and we can go later. It could be a…um, a date!" His cheeks flared a crimson hue as he suggested it.

"A…a d-date…w-with Naruto-kun?" She whispered out loud, not believing her ears. Naruto wanted to go on a date with her? Does this mean that everyone was going to be okay between them? Could Naruto possibly fall in love with her? She felt a joy inside of her that she hadn't felt in a long, long time.

Naruto grabbed her smaller hand and started to lead her back home. "Yeah. Um, if you don't want to get ramen…we could, uh, we could always go…someplace else?"

Hinata hardly heard what he had said as the pleasant sensation of his hand holding hers filled her to the very core. She looked up at his face and couldn't help the blush that covered her cheeks. "I…w-would go an-anywhere with you, Naruto-kun…"

"Great!" Naruto happily said and the two of them slowly made their way to Hinata's home.

_**----------**_

It was twelve noon when Ino called a brief meeting between the remaining members of the previous Rookie Nine and the two members of Gai's team. The other people that didn't seem to realize the meeting was taking place were Naruto, Hinata, Lee, and Sakura, as they were elsewhere and Ino couldn't possibly tell Sakura and Lee of the surprise that they had in store for the soon-to-be mother and wife. And Lee wouldn't be able to keep a secret from her, so that ultimately ruled him out.

Ino glanced at the faces of the people around her; Shikamaru, Chouji (equipped with chips), Kiba, Shino, Neji and Tenten. It was a small group now that Sasuke was no longer in it and the four teens weren't here to join their party. Currently, they were having lunch at Ichiraku.

Shikamaru yawned, already bored out of his mind. "Okay, Ino, why are we here?" He thanked the ramen owner as he placed his meal in front of him.

Ino grinned slyly at her boyfriend before replying. "I thought it would be obvious, Shika-kun. I mean, you **_are_** a genius, aren't you?"

Shikamaru rolled his eyes at the nickname before shrugging. He slurped up his soup and only half listened to the conversation.

Ino glared at his lack of attentiveness. She turned back to the others. Neji could care less about being here, Chouji would go anywhere as long as there was food involved, Tenten enjoyed making secret plans, Kiba and Shino really had no idea why they were there.

"I called this meeting because as we all know of the situation between Lee and Sakura; they are expecting twins and are getting married in a few months!" She clasped her hands excitedly as she said that.

Tenten was also happily excited for her friends. She had known Lee practically longer than anyone else and she really adored him for his strength and determination to exceed in the ninja world with no ninjutsu and genjutsu whatsoever. He deserved to be happy and she was there with him one hundred percent. "That's great! I wonder who Sakura's going to pick as Maid of Honor." She looked thoughtful at that comment.

Ino rolled her eyes. "She's going to pick me, of course! I AM her best friend, after all!"

"Well, she can have more than one." Said Tenten.

The other girl shrugged. "Well, from what I heard, they haven't even thought of **_planning_** the wedding. My mother's a wedding planner on the side, so we were going to ask her for some help. Hopefully, Sakura's parents wouldn't mind paying for the wedding…" She highly doubt that they wouldn't, considering how Sakura's father acted at the hospital a few weeks ago. There was bad blood between the father and Rock Lee.

Kiba blinked as he finally decided to speak. "Wait, we came here to talk about a stupid wedding?"

Ino glared threateningly at him, immediately shutting the dog-boy up. "If you know what's good for you, you'll shut up now."

Kiba gulped and remained quiet for the rest of the exchange. He slouched in his seat and played with his ramen. Girls just…really scare him sometimes.

"Hey guys!" A voice shouted behind him and seven pairs of eyes turned around to see Naruto and Hinata standing there.

Neji raised an eyebrow and Naruto grinned sheepishly at the other boy. The two newcomers took a seat with them.

Ino couldn't help but noticed how close they seem to be; especially since she knew that Hinata was trying everything she could not to see Naruto.

"So, what'cha talking about?" Naruto asked after ordering some ramen for him and Hinata.

"We're talking about Lee and Sakura's wedding." Ino said before turning back to the little group.

A small flash of pain flickered in Naruto's eyes before dying out. He would be happy for Lee and Sakura, especially now that he has Hinata. Hinata deserves a chance, just like Lee deserved a chance to be with Sakura. "That's cool. What about it?"

Ino turned back to him, since she was now sitting between Naruto and Shikamaru. "Well, we know that Sakura hadn't made any plans yet…but, I was also thinking of throwing an engagement –slash- birthday –slash- baby shower for them."

Kiba decided to speak out again. "A birthday party?"

Ino was getting tired of turning back and fourth between them and sighed. "Sakura's birthday is in two more days." She rolled her eyes. "And you call yourself her friend." She said sarcastically.

Kiba blushed. "Hey, we're not very close!"

"Obviously."

Shino cut in between them. "What are you planning, Ino?" He asked in that soft and monotonous voice of his.

Ino glanced at Shino. If it weren't for the fact that she was dating Shikamaru, she'll be all over the sexiness that was the bug-boy. Oh, yes, Shino has grown into a fine, well-toned, young man…but that was slightly going off topic.

"What **_we're_** planning is throwing them a party in two days. I have everything planned out and all your tasks ready!" She pulled out a slip of paper from her pocket started to read from it. "Okay, hmm…I'll be the coordinator, of course. Shikamaru, I need you to run out and get some decorations." She handed him a piece of paper.

Shikamaru lazily took it without saying a word, though it was obvious what he was thinking. _'How troublesome…'_

Ino continued. "Kiba and Shino, I'll need you two to pick up some stuff for the baby-shower portion of the party." She also handed them a piece of paper.

"Wow, Ino, you really thought this through." Remarked Naruto as he worked on his third bowl of ramen. Hinata said nothing as she was still on her first and only bowl. She really wanted to spend some alone time with Naruto, but she didn't mind too much spending time with her other friends too. She also wanted to know the status of their relationship and what ground they stood on. Were they an official couple or just out having ramen like friends?

Ino only smugly grin at him. "Of course! This is one of my specialties. Now, back to business. I was thinking we could hold the party at an empty classroom at the Academy. I'm sure Hokage-sama and Iruka-sensei won't mind. I'll need Neji and Tenten to make a list of the guests." She looked at the two.

Tenten would happily take care of the task handed to her, but Neji wouldn't be much help. He wasn't a big party person and preferred to be alone more than not. Actually, right now, he would rather be asleep since he was oh-so rudely disturbed from his slumber earlier that morning when an idiot decided to throw rocks at his window, mistaking his room for that of his cousin's. Life was just mocking him, wasn't it?

"We'll get right on it, Ino!" Tenten said, already thinking up a list of people that Lee and Sakura would want to have at the 'surprise' party. Let's see…there's Kakashi-sensei, Gai-sensei, Iruka-sensei, that girl from the academy four years ago…she ticked each person off in her mind.

Neji's response was the opposite of Tenten's. "There's no way that I-" Tenten gave him a look that caused him to rethink his response. He sighed and reconsidered. "Fine." Tenten smiled sweetly at him.

Shikamaru, who was sitting next to Chouji, leaned over the boy to whisper to Neji. "Why do we allow girls to run and ruin our lives? This is so troublesome…"

Neji, for once in his life, had to agree with the genius.

Ino sweatdropped and thwacked Shikamaru on the back of his head. "Shut up, Shikamaru." She returned back to the topic on hand. "I'll talk to Sakura's parents about the arrangements and I'm pretty sure they wouldn't mind." _I hope_, she added silently. "I'll also take care of the catering and floral arrangements."

Shikamaru nodded, only pretending to be interested. "And how much will all of this cost?"

Ino glared at him. "If we all pitch in, it shouldn't really matter."

Tenten nodded. "My cousin got married two years ago and the wedding was beautiful! It was like being in a dream! I asked them how much all that cost and it was like, twenty thousand dollars."

Naruto, who was drinking from a cup, immediately spewed the drink across the table. "Twenty thousand dollars for a stupid wedding! That's ridiculous! And we're not even talking about the wedding. If the wedding was only twenty thousand dollars, that means the party's gonna be like mega expensive!"

Ino, as well as everyone else, glared at Naruto as they all dripped in the liquid that came from Naruto's mouth. "Naruto…" Ino said through clenched teeth as she balled up her fist and smacked Naruto in the back of the head.

"Ow!" He cried out in pain as he grabbed the back of his head and glared at Ino. "What did you do that for!"

"For being an idiot," Ino said with a roll of her eyes. She cleared her throat. "So, everyone knows what to do?"

Naruto raised his hand, squirming in his seat and forgetting about his recent bout of pain.

Ino couldn't help but glare at the boy as he jumped around in his seat to get her attention. "**_What_** Naruto?"

"Um, um, um…where are we going to get the money for the party?"

Ino smiled. "I'll let you think of that." She clasped her hands together and looked at them all. "That concludes our briefing. Now, everyone knows what to do?"

They all reluctantly nodded.

Naruto raised his hand again. "Wait, wait! What about me and Hina-chan?"

Hinata blushed at the nickname while the others merely raised an eyebrow. Ino thought about it for a moment. "Hmm…you could…get the presents!"

Naruto face-faulted. "The presents! Aw man, I always get the lame jobs."

"Don't complain, idiot." Naruto had the feeling that everyone actually thought his name was 'idiot'. Ino got up from the stool she was sitting on and paid for her barely touched meal. "Report back here tomorrow at 1700 hours."

Naruto blinked. "Wait, huh? But…there's only 24 hours in a day! You want us to report back here in 1700 hours?"

Ino's anger was rising as her nostrils flared and fire sparkled in her eyes. How idiotic can one person be? Thankfully, Shikamaru answered before she ended up killing the poor boy. "She means five o'clock, Naruto."

Naruto nodded. "Oh, well, why didn't you say so?"

"It's common sense to know military time, especially for a ninja." Responded Neji with a graceful raise of a brow.

Naruto said nothing as he finished up the last of his ramen and silently watched as the others slipped away to take care of their tasks. He sighed and glanced next to him at Hinata who stared blankly at her half eaten bowl of ramen. "Hey, Hina-chan, are you okay?"

Hinata wringed her hands in her lap and nodded slowly.

Naruto frowned and put an arm around her. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"N-Nothing, Naruto-kun…" She said softly, ignoring the stares that the Ichiraku owner and his daughter were giving them. Both the owner and his daughter smiled at them, thinking that they made the cutest couple. Actually, anyone who saw them thought they were the perfect pair. Hinata's shyness and innocent certainly could balance out Naruto's outgoingness and carelessness. They could only help that she could get some sense through that thick skull of his.

Naruto nodded and cautiously with an extremely amount of affection that surprised all present, rubbed a hand on her back, hoping to make her feel better. She blushed tremendously as his hand made smoothing circles on her back. "Are you sure?"

She nodded one last time before Naruto pulled her in his arms. She wished she could stay like that forever.

_**----------**_

The visit with Tsunade was uneventful as the Hokage checked up on the girl's pregnancy. She was happy to know that after the incident a few weeks ago with Sasuke, there was no real damage. Tsunade made sure that Sakura would check back every month to see her so as to keep a good eye on how it progress. She had also told her that it was too soon to determine the sex of the babies when Sakura had asked her. But from what the older woman could tell, they both were of the same sex and that left Sakura guessing if she was going to have two daughters or two sons. It didn't matter, because she would love her daughters or sons just the same.

Once she left the hospital, she would meet up with her parents for lunch. She was against the whole idea, but her mother insisted that they should spend some more quality time together. It wasn't that she didn't want to, in fact, she would love to spend some time with her parents but by the way her father's previous behavior has been, it prevented them from doing that. He needed to stop acting like a child and grow up.

She made her way down the streets to her parents' house, wondering where Lee was. When they departed that morning, he said something about meeting up with his sensei and getting some training done. She told him to pick up some chocolate chip ice cream and Doritos© on his way back.

He, of course, didn't object to such a request coming from his beautiful and pregnant future wife and had eagerly declared that he would not let her down. It also involved a lot of youthful and passionate speeches. She had to shut him up with a kiss and a shove out the door.

In a few minutes she was standing outside her small home yet again. She subconsciously placed a hand on her slightly swollen belly before taking a deep and calming breath. She shouldn't have to feel this way around her parents, but given the current circumstances, it was undeniably understandable. She walked into the house, praying silently that this won't be the last time, and went in search of her parents.

It didn't take long before she found her mother upstairs in the room that she shared with her husband searching for something on the floor. She was dressed in a sleeveless elegant red dress that came down a little past her knees with a low neckline. Her long pink hair was tied into a loose bun on the top of her head with a few stray strands framing her nicely toned face. Sakura was momentarily surprised by her mother's choice in clothing and slowly approached her mother as she knelt down on the floor.

"Mom?" Sakura questioned without holding back the curiosity that was obvious in her voice.

Her mother looked up from searching under the bed and sighed in relief. "Good, you're here. Could you help me look for my contact, sweetie?"

Ah, so that would explain why she was crawling around on her hands and knees. Sakura nodded and carefully helped her mother search for the missing item. It took them ten minutes before Sakura shouted out with a triumphant grin that she had found it.

Her mother gratefully took the contact from her daughter and stuck it in her eye. Blinking rapidly, she smiled brightly at her daughter before frowning in disapproval. "You can't go dressed like that, Sakura!"

Sakura looked down at herself and wondered what was wrong with her loose fitted jeans and the pink loose shirt she was wearing. She looked back at her mother with a questioning look. "What's wrong with what I'm wearing?"

Miki shook her head and tisked. "Sweetie, we booked reservations for lunch at Vue de Monde. Your father chose it. I was pleasantly surprised that he did. There must be a reason for it." Miki said with a knowing smile. "Now, go change into something nice. Oh, and will Lee be joining us?" She asked before Sakura could leave the room.

Sakura was in a slight daze. Would Lee be joining them? Hell, **_she_** didn't even know about it. She was a little unnerved that her father would make reservations at one of the most expensive restaurants in the village. She thought about looking for Lee but wasn't sure as to what time that the reservations were set for. "What time are we supposed to be there?"

"Two o'clock for a late lunch."

Sakura nodded and glanced at the clock on her parents' bedside table. It was only 1:15 which meant she has less than half an hour to find Lee. He will join them. She'll make sure of that.

She told her mother that she would find Lee and they would be back within the hour before dashing out the room and out the house. Miki shook her head. She was still surprised that Matsou would go out of his way to try and redeem himself in his daughter and her boyfriend's eyes. He missed her terribly and so had she. Their daughter was all they had left and neither of them wanted something as trivial as this to tear them apart. That's why Matsou made reservations for four at the restaurant.

_**----------**_

_**AN**: Okie, let me clear a few things up before I start getting crazy reviews (j/k). First, about the whole Naruto telling Hinata about the Kyuubi thing. That wasn't exactly easy to write. I also realized (a little too late, might I add) that Naruto SHOULDN'T have told Hinata about it, especially since no one was to know (that's what I read in most fics anyways). But, when I had that part written down, it was too late to turn back. I hope that doesn't pose as a problem. I am very sorry if I did something wrong concerning the two (Naruto and Hinata). This is technically my first time writing them into a fic. So, I apologize if they are not up to any expectation/standards of yours._

_Yeah, but writing Naruto and Hinata just made me fall in love with them even more._

_And as for the ending scene…gosh, that literally came out of nowhere. I wasn't planning on having them go to some random fancy restaurant to have lunch, but…it just happened. So, Matsou is trying to redeem himself! What made him change his mind? How will their day end at the restaurant? What will happen next? And what of the party that Ino's planning? Find out next time!_

_I also want to thank everyone who reviewed, Oh, thank you so, so much. I dedicate this fic to you! Please review!  
_

_**Next Chapter Preview - **"Sakura-chan! Are you alright? Why are you here? Is there something wrong?" He asked breathlessly as the sweat ran down his forehead._


	14. Chapter 14: My Revival

**_Okay, I know…I'm taking an extremely long time to bring the babies into the world, since this story IS about Sakura and Lee raising kids. But, something keeps getting in the way and, well, one thing leads to another. I hope that's not too much of a problem and I'm sorry if I have too much of Naruto and Hinata in a Lee and Sakura story. I'm sorry. Forgive me…I would have replied to the reviews but there are just too many…-_**

**_cries- Oh, thank you everyone! I've reached 200 reviews! –Hugs all- I'm so…so happy right now. I never thought I would make it this far, but with all the help and support that I am getting…it's no wonder that this story has made it as far as it had. Thank you everyone. This is for you. _**

**_Also, I apologize for it being sooo late! This could be an early birthday present to me (September 21st)! Enjoy!_**

_**--------**_

_**The Power of Youth  
By SapphireWhiteTigress**_

**Chapter XIV – My Revival**

_**--------**_

Lee was training extensively when Sakura found him. She was short of breath and her back killed her as she ran all the way from her house. She doubled over as she tried to catch her breath and made a mental note not to run ever again during the duration of this pregnancy. Lee must have spotted her as he was by her side before she could even blink and compose herself.

"Sakura-chan! Are you alright? Why are you here? Is there something wrong?" He asked breathlessly as the sweat ran down his forehead.

Sakura looked around and waved off his questions as she recomposed herself. "I thought you were training with Gai-sensei."

Lee nodded thoughtfully as he toweled the sweat from his forehead. She could easily see each and every muscle of his body through his green jumpsuit. "Gai-sensei left on a mission a half an hour ago." He said as he looked into her eyes. "But, Sakura-chan, why are you here? How was your visit with Tsunade-sama and your parents?"

Sakura smiled at him and kissed his cheek as she grabbed his hand. As they walked back to her house, hand-in-hand, she told him everything he needed to know. "The visit with Tsunade-sama was better than expected. She said it was too soon to determine the sex of the babies, but she also said that they should be of the same sex. I came here to tell you that my parents are planning on dragging me to some fancy restaurant and they also want you to join us."

Lee stared incredulously at her as she dragged him along. "But…Sakura-chan, I do not have anything formal to wear for such an occasion!"

Sakura paused and looked him up and down before shrugging. "Don't worry about it, my mom has a friend who has a son that's about your size. You could borrow some of his stuff, I'm sure they wouldn't mind."

And they didn't mind. As a matter of fact, they welcomed them in with open arms and in a matter of minutes, Lee was wearing one of Basil Ferran's, the son of Emir Ferran and Leila Ferran, black tux. It wasn't anything special, just something formal, yet casual at the same time. It didn't choke him or made him feel uncomfortable and fit loosely around his body. It was almost a perfect fit. Sakura thought he looked incredible in only his spandex jumpsuit, but when she saw him in the fine tux, she was at a lost for words. Incredible couldn't begin to describe how he looked right then and there. She could just say screw the whole lunch meeting with her parents and they could spend the rest of the day in his room. But, of course, that was Sakura's inner perverted side speaking. Yes, even girls can be perverts.

Sakura instantly blushed at her own perverted thoughts. She supposed being pregnant did that to you with the imbalanced hormonal level it caused.

They didn't stay long to chat, much to the Ferran's disappointment, as they had to be back at Sakura's house very soon. Not only that, but Sakura still needed to find something to wear and she had very little choice in formal clothing. She felt like hitting her father over the head for the sudden change in their plans. She was looking forward to just have a small luncheon with her parents at home. Though, it did have an upside to it, considering she got to see Lee in some formal wear.

Once she returned back to her house, Lee in tow, her mother was frantically fussing over them. She wanted this to go as perfectly and smoothly as possible. She ushered Sakura to her room where she had laid out a beautiful pink dress on the girl's recently deserted bed.

Sakura sighed and silently cursed her parents as she put on the dress. Her mother must have purchased it while she was gone because she never seen such a dress like this one before. Surprisingly, as she put it on, it was a perfect fit. Glancing into the mirror, she noted that she didn't look half bad in it and swirled around, giggling. She wasn't one to adore herself with such dresses but it looked nice on her, even in her pregnant state. Would she look this beautiful on her wedding day?

"Sakura! Are you ready!" The voice of her mother called up the stairs and into her room.

Sakura spun around, as if remembering **_why_** she was up there in the first place. "Oh, I'll be right down in a minute, mom!" She ran to her dresser and opened up a small jewelry box that set on top. She wasn't sure why, but she wanted to look her absolute best if she was going to meet her father at the restaurant.

She smiled as she reached for a small necklace, a memento from her grandmother – her father's mother – that was given to her seven years ago before she passed away. She remembered her father telling her to treasure it forever because the spirit of his mother lived on in that necklace. He would be happy to see her wearing it again.

She placed the necklace around her neck and took on last glance at her reflection before leaving her room. She took a deep breath, feeling somewhat awkward, as she walked down the stairs where Lee and her mother were waiting for her. Once at the bottom of the stairs, she saw Lee, who was engage in a conversation with her mother, glanced up at her.

And his jaw hit the floor.

Sakura blushed as his gaze shamefully trailed the length of her body. It was weird, but surprisingly flattering. After all their time of dating, this was possibly the first time he has even seen her in a dress. She nervously laughed as she stood at the foot of the stairs.

"So, um, how do I…look?" She asked, watching Lee's reaction.

Lee was astonished by her appearance and he couldn't form a coherent thought at the sight of her. "Wow…Sakura-chan…you look youthfully astonishing!" Sakura cocked an eyebrow at that.

"Oh, Sakura! You look so beautiful!" Her mother clasped her hands together as she made her way to her daughter's side. "Very lovely! Does the dress fit?"

Sakura nodded with a smile. "Yeah, where did you get it?"

Miki only grinned. "Your father's store, of course. I was surprised that he actually carries clothing like this one." She grabbed Sakura's arm and led her to the door. "Now, enough dillydallying, you're father is waiting for us!" She left the house with Lee following behind them.

In a few short minutes, they were at the restaurant. Sakura's mother led the two in and found the waitress that would lead to their table. Arriving at the table, they were greeted by Matsou, who wore a stern look upon his dark face. Lee gulped nervously.

Sakura was also nervous in the presence of her father. She cleared her throat and bowed respectfully. "Um…hi…Dad…"

Matsou's gaze shifted from Lee and landed upon his daughter. His eyes soften as he took in his young daughter's appearance. She was growing up so fast and it saddens him. How much longer did he have in his daughter's life before she would have no use of him? His heart constricted as if a hand closed around it, squeezing. "Sakura," he said, slowly taking a step towards her. It felt like forever since he last saw his little girl. Glancing over her again, he mentally corrected himself. No, she wasn't his little girl anymore. She was her own woman now.

They awkwardly looked at each other, neither knowing what to say, but had a lot **_to_** say. Thankfully, it was mom to save the day once more as she cleared her throat and smile at her daughter and husband. "Are we going to stay here and stare at each other or order?"

Sakura and Matsou turned to look at the pink haired mother and wife and both took their seats. Lee felt oddly out of place. Was he imposing on their family dinner? All thoughts left his mind, however, when a soft hand clasped his tightly. Looking up, he stare the worried face of his love watching him. He gave her a reassuring smile and squeezed her hand.

"So! What does everyone want?" Miki asked as she looked over the menu.

Nobody said a word as the atmosphere in the restaurant thickens around their table. Miki looked up from her menu to see that everyone was avoiding the others' eyes. She sighed and calmly sat her menu down on the table and folded her hands on the menu. She gave each and everyone of them a look before speaking, "Matsou," she turned to her husband. "This was your idea. I would appreciate it if you would say something relatively nice to your daughter **_and_** future **_son-in-law_**."

Matsou glanced up from his menu. In all honesty, he wasn't too trilled about this little meeting, but his family was falling apart and he wanted to do whatever he could to bring them back together. He had so much he wanted to say, but seeing his beautiful daughter again, he couldn't find the will to speak. He turned back to his menu and grumbled something under his breath.

"**_Matsou_**," she warned dangerously with a glare.

Matsou continued to look at the menu in disinterest. Having enough of her husband's attitude, Miki stomped her foot, **_hard_**, on Matsou's own foot. The action caused the older man to jump out of his seat in pain. "Damn it, woman! What was that for!"

Both Sakura and Lee flinched at Matsou's outraged outburst. Sakura's parents rarely fought and the two were startled and upset that it was their own fault that her parents were getting into arguments.

Miki also stood up in her seat with her palms flat on the table, a fierce glare directed at Matsou. It was a stare-off and neither adults were relenting. The restaurant grew quiet and watched the exchanged in interest. Sakura couldn't have been more embarrassed in her life.

She placed her head in her arms and prayed that this would be all over soon. Life was like one disaster after the other. Suddenly, a wave of dizziness hit her and she groaned loudly. Lee turned away from her bickering parents to face her.

"Sakura-chan, are you alright?"

Sakura slowly nodded and took a deep breath, lifting her head up to give Lee a small smile. "I'm…okay, Lee-kun. It was just a little wave of dizziness…it passed."

Lee frowned, his eyes filled with concern for his girlfriend. She looked flushed and sickeningly pale. "Are you sure, Sakura-chan?" he asked, taking hold of her small hand and softly squeezing it. "You do not look well, would you like to go back home and rest?"

Sakura shook her head. "No, I'm fine, Lee-kun, really…"

Lee was still unconvinced and wouldn't let it passed. "But Sakura-chan, if you do not feel well, then we should go home immediately so you can recover!" He insisted. The raise of his voice brought the attention Sakura's parents.

Miki immediately took noticed of her daughter's pale features and went straight to her side. "Sakura, are you okay? How are you feeling? Would you like to go home?" She fret over her daughter and placed a hand on her forehead, quickly withdrawing it. "Sakura! You're burning up!"

Matsou frowned deeply as he observed his wife, daughter, and her troublesome boyfriend. He didn't know what to do or how to react to his daughter's sudden fever. He wanted to blame it on Lee, because as far as he was concern, everything is that boy's fault. But try as he might, he knew deep down inside that Lee loved his daughter with everything the boy was worth.

Sakura tried to stand up, pushing her chair away from her, but stumbled in the process, almost falling to the floor. Faster than anyone could see, Lee was by her side and held her up. He was her support and he would always be there for her, no matter what.

"Sakura-chan, we should get you home…" Lee said softly as he lifted her up into his arms with ease. She tried to protest but found that she was too weak to even put up an attempt to fight.

"Lee-kun…I don't…" Before she could finish, she vomited on Lee's shirt.

By now, they had a large audience as the patrons in the restaurant looked on in disgust and amusement. Lee felt slightly embarrassed to have his girlfriend throwing up on him in public, but right now, embarrassment was the furthest thing from his mind as he had to get Sakura home.

"Sorry…Lee…" She said before closing her eyes in his arms. Lee panicked as his face lost all color. Never had Sakura acted this way during the pregnancy. Lee held Sakura tightly to him as he raced out of the restaurant, Miki following behind him. However, in a few short seconds, Miki lost track of the boy that carried her daughter away.

Matsou was left alone in the restaurant, his heart in the pit of his stomach. Most of the patrons went back to finish their meals, while some continued to look on in curiosity. The worried father glared at the onlookers and slumped in his seat. He covered his face in his hands. He wanted to cry out in sorrow and he could help the tears that perked at the corner of his eyes. He was a confused, broken, and disoriented man. He wanted to go after them but, somehow, deep in his heart, he knew that she was in good hands, especially if Lee was with her.

_**-----**_

In a few short minutes, which felt like an eternity for Lee, he returned to his apartment and as he tried to balance Sakura comfortably in his arms and retrieve his keys at the same time, the door swung opened, surprising him. He held Sakura tighter to him as he cautiously entered. She groaned quietly against his chest and Lee paused as he glanced down at his angel.

If someone was really inside his apartment, that would mean that Sakura would be in danger in her valuable state. No…

If someone was really inside his apartment, that would mean that **_someone_** was going to get hurt, badly, and it wasn't going to be him OR Sakura.

Slowly, he pushed his front door fully opened and glanced around inside, noting that everything was out of place. The furniture in the room were scorch and broken, as if an angry fireball was rushed into the offended wood, his kitchen window was broken and the traps that he set around his apartment have been disarmed skillfully. Most of the counter drawers were hanging open and some even littered the floor, broken. For a long moment, he just stood dumbfounded while Sakura rested in his arms, unaware.

He made his way further into the room and paused as his keen hearing picked up movement from behind him. Suddenly, there was a deep intake of breath and in a split second; a burning inferno of flames ignited him – or at least, where he was a second ago. Thankful for his amazingly quick speed, he was able to dodge the attack, still holding Sakura close to his racing heart.

He spun around, narrowly dodging another attack. Right now, he didn't care about who was attacking him and why, right now, his main concern was getting Sakura away from the danger.

"I never really did like you." A dark sinister voice whispered in the shadows.

Lee's eyes narrowed in anger. He knew that voice all too well. "Sasuke, why are you here?" Lee asked him and the boy in question took a step towards Lee, causing the youth to take a step back. He needed someway to get Sakura out of here. If something were to happen to her because he was unable to protect her from Sasuke, then he would never be able to continue on living.

Sasuke tilted his head to the side, his eyes never leaving Lee's face. "That's for me to know, thick-brows." He said before charging at Lee.

**_-----_**

"Naruto, what do you think you're doing!" The angry voice of Ino sounded through the vacant classroom. Thanks to permission from Tsunade-sama and Iruka-sensei, they were able to have Sakura's surprise party in the classroom.

Naruto frowned as he tried desperately to himself on a wobbly chair while trying to post up the banner for the party. It was bad enough that he got the wrong banner, which said: "Mazel Tov on Your Bar Mitzvah". It wasn't his fault that the local party supplier ran out of birthday, engagement, and baby shower banners at the same time. It also wasn't his fault that the first banner he blindly picked up was a Bar Mitzvah one. Ino **_freaked_** when she saw the banner he had brought and had two large lumps on the back of his head to prove it. He was forced to cross out every word with a maker and write in: "Congratulations Sakura and Lee!" as well as "Happy Birthday, Baby Shower, and Engagement!" Thankfully, he was able to fit all that on to the banner.

His chair tipped over dangerous as he continued, in vain, to tape the banner to the ceiling. "This isn't working! It won't stay up!" He yelled down to Ino.

Ino growled in annoyance. "Naruto, you're hopeless! If you ruin this party, I will personally kill you!"

Naruto rolled his eyes and stuck his tongue out at Ino when she turned her back to him. Unfortunately, that action caused the chair to topple over. Naruto's eyes budged as he grabbed onto the banner that was half taped to the ceiling.

"GRAAHH!" He yelled, hanging onto the banner as it swung him back and forth. Everyone in the room looked on and couldn't help but bursting out into laughter. Naruto glared at them, still helplessly swinging from the banner and sweatdropped as he heard a ripping sound. The next thing he knew, he was on his rear.

He stood up and rubbed his behind, glaring at his laughing 'friends'. "That's not funny…"

Hinata rushed over to Naruto and stumbled over her words as she always did when she was around him. "N-Naruto-k-kun…a-are you…o-o-okay?" She asked as she tapped her two index fingers together. She tried to break out of the habit, especially since she confessed to Naruto, but it was still a hard thing to do.

Naruto instantly forgot the pain in his arse and grinned at Hinata. She was just so cute. "Yeah, I'm fine! Thanks, Hinata-chan!" He said as he swung an arm around her shoulder, bringing her closer to him for a quick kiss on the cheek.

Hinata blushed deeply as his lips touched the soft skin on her face. She would hear Kiba whistling at them and the chuckles of the other guys in the room. She blushed at least ten shades of red.

_**------**_

_**AN**: Whew, this chapter took an incredibly long time and it still isn't good. I'm sorry. I just was down a lot, especially from this fanfic. Depression kinda got to me really bad…so bad that I just…well, that I just wanted to convince myself that I'm no good at this writing thing – but, what am I saying? I have people who adore this fic and for that, I cannot leave it hanging. Now, I will take suggestions, from you, so that I can make this fic better and more enjoyable for everyone. I want to try and be the best writer that I can be. So, please, give me constructed criticism, tips, helpful hints, anything. Thanks…I love you guys for caring so much. And…_

_**Next Chapter Preview**: -Unavailable-_


	15. Chapter 15: To Behold

**The Power of Youth  
Chapter XV**  
"**To Behold"**

**By: SapphireWhiteTigress**

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"Sasuke, why are you doing this?" Lee asked as he dodged an oncoming attack from the enraged Uchiha. He was trying desperately to think of a way out of Sasuke's range without harming Sakura, who was now his main priority. He chanced a glance at the feverish young woman in his arms as Sasuke once again charged at him. Lee quickly turned away from the girl just in time to dodge yet another attack. "Stop this Sasuke! Would you really hurt Sakura-chan?" He asked tensely as he tried to talk some sense into the boy who once fought beside them. "She is still your teammate **_and_** friend, Sasuke!" He tried desperately to reach out to him. "You do not have to do this!" His breathing came out in gasps as he tightly held onto his love. "Sasuke…if I…If I don't get her to the hospital…Sakura-chan could…she could…die…Please, Sasuke." He begged with a heavy heart weighing him down.

Sasuke paused in his attacks to contemplate this. He was certain that all his feelings and ties to Konoha have been eradicated, leaving him as an emotionless fiend with only one thing in mind: To Kill Itachi. He was closer to that path than he have been in years and he wasn't about to let something like this come between him and his goal. He cursed himself as he reminded himself that this wasn't about Itachi, not right now. This was his own personal gain, wasn't it? Killing off the people he once cared about would prove to everyone, especially Itachi, that he was ready for him.

It was an internal battle raging inside of him. A conflict that wanted to be resolved, but Sasuke was stubborn. He was torn between finishing the job and leaving again. Did his heart still beat from his friends? His old comrades? As he looked upon the sickening Sakura, he wasn't sure what he felt. A tidal wave of feelings washed over him with such force that he was momentarily taken aback.

Lee watched Sasuke in silence as he bared witness to his inner sufferings. Even though Sasuke wasn't a Konoha Ninja, Lee still considered Sasuke as one of them and his friend. He wanted to help him and hopefully convert him back to the way he was, before Orochimaru and possibly, before the incident that led Sasuke to become so unstable.

Lee glanced back down to the girl in his arms as she moaned in discomfort, reminding Lee what he must do. Casting a sidelong glance at the preoccupied Sasuke, Lee quickly dashed off to the hospital, in hopes that Sasuke wouldn't chase him down.

He didn't.

_**---**_

Ino was starting to grow impatient with the preparations for Sakura and Lee's little party that she was hosting. What was most annoying was the fact that Naruto kept goofing off and almost sabotaging the whole thing with his carelessness and clumsiness. Not only was there that, but the constant bickering between the blond idiot and Kiba was tearing at her last nerves.

She tried to ignore them and focus on more pressing matters. Given the current circumstance, she decided to move the party up a bit to a few hours. She was excited about it and could hardly contain herself. She called over Tenten and Neji. "Hey, Tenten, Neji, come here!"

Tenten, dragging a reluctant Neji along, were by Ino's side almost immediately. "You called?"

Ino nodded as she said, "Yeah, could you see if you can find Sakura and Lee? Make sure they're here by eight, okay?"

Tenten nodded and saluted Ino before running out, still dragging Neji with her. Ino shook her head and murmured under her breath, "She spends way too much time around Lee."

_**---**_

As Lee made his way through the semi-crowded streets that would take him to the hospital, thoughts of the girl that rested in his arms consumed his mind. He prayed to whatever God that there was, that she would be alright and that his children, his blissful little babies would also be alright. It was tearing him apart inside to see someone in loved so much in so much pain and it hurt worst knowing that he was the one to bring on such pain.

_She will be alright…she has to be…_He repeated over in his head that this was only minor, that it was a normal thing during a pregnancy, but he just couldn't shake the feeling that settled in the bit of his stomach. What was really going on? By God, he loved this woman with everything that made him whole and if something, **_anything_** were to happen to her…his life wouldn't be worth living. She was the reason that he was alive today. She gave him strength when he felt weak and unable to fight on. She was his caused and without her, his reason to live would cease to exist.

The tears fell from his eyes as he clenched her tightly to his chest, his destination coming into view quickly, but a blurry sight it was. He ran through the doors and to the receptionist area, frantically rushing the nurses to look at Sakura. They immediately went to work on her as they ushered the unwilling Lee away from her as they placed her on a stretcher and rushed her into the emergency room. It was all a blurred for him, as if he was on autopilot. There was nothing he could do but just stand there and wait.

He found himself once again in the hospital, waiting for answers to his unasked questions. He hated this. He wanted to be in there with her but they wouldn't allow it. He was a mess. The suit that he borrowed from Sakura's family friend was tattered and covered in mud from his brief fight with the young Uchiha. His hair wasn't its usual shine and it drooped, as if to match his mood perfectly and dripped with perspiration and droplets of water. He heaved a heavy sigh and dropped in a nearby chair with his head in his hands.

Why couldn't life be easy? Why must this keep happening? He was starting to despise hospitals.

After a few minutes of being lost in his thoughts, Lee was disturbed from his reveries when he heard the echoing of a familiar set of footsteps down the hall. He lifted his head, unaware of his bloodshot eyes, still brimming with unshed tears, to see Tsunade as she made her way to him. Unfortunately for him, she didn't pass him a second glance as she soon disappeared inside of the room in which Sakura was being held in.

He sighed and found a spot on the floor to stare at until the news of Sakura's condition could reach his ears. Did they not realize how important this was to him? That he, too, had the right to know what was going on? Apparently, they didn't think so and it was driving the usually polite Lee crazy with anticipation and despair.

"There you are, Lee!" The voice of his teammate Tenten broke him from his thoughts. "Somebody said that they saw you running into the hospital. What happened?" She asked him as soon as she and Neji were standing in front of him.

Lee ran a shaky hand through his disheveled hair and took a deep breath before slowly releasing it. "Sakura-chan…" He started but his words were lost in his throat.

Tenten's eyes widened as wayward thoughts ran amok in her head at all the possibilities that could have happened to her friend. "What happened to Sakura?" After a moment when Lee still hasn't said a word, Tenten placed a hand gently on his shoulder. "Lee?"

He sighed and looked into Tenten's brown eyes, trying to collect his thoughts. After a moment of silence, he said in an inaudible whisper, "What have I done?" His voice cracked and he reminded Tenten of someone who have betted his life away – and lost. He was broken and scared and she knew that if something were to ever happen to Sakura and their unborn child, he would kill himself in the grief. Not physically, as she knew Lee was against one taking one's own life, but the despair would slowly eat away at him. She watched enough movies to know.

Tenten raked her brain for something to say to bring him out of this slum, but found that there was nothing she could say to him. She turned desperate eyes to Neji, who, until now, stood silently behind her, observing the scene with a small hint of concern in his clear eyes.

Neji shrugged and stared at his companion. "Lee, you brought this upon yourself."

Tenten glared at Neji before turning back to Lee and sitting down beside him. "Don't listen to Neji, Lee. He doesn't know what he's talking about," she gave Neji another glare in warning before he could say anything else to offend Lee. She gently placed an arm around her friend. "Look, Lee, Sakura's going to be okay. She's strong and when this is all over, you're going to be a proud father and, well, husband too, I guess." She said soothingly and couldn't help but notice how weird that all sounded. Lee becoming a father seemed so…foreign to her, like it was all some weird dream.

Lee stared at the floor in silent contemplation. Neji snorted with the roll of his eyes, but both Lee and Tenten chose to ignore him.

The silence that followed was deafening as each one was last in their thoughts, waiting on news about Sakura's condition. Waiting was something Lee has always been accustomed to as he often abide by the saying "Patience is a Virtue". However, this was different and if Lee hadn't been so proper, he would be pulling out strands of his hair by now. How many times has it been now that he waited impatiently in this cold and disturbing hospital?

Lee found himself being drawn out of his inner turmoil once again by a sudden voice that somehow seemed to chill him to the bone. He cringed and looked up to see the ominous approaching figure of Sakura's father.

"Where is my daughter? Where is Sakura?" He demanded, his voice carrying down the hollow halls and bouncing off the off-white walls.

Lee suddenly wished that he could crawl into a hole and die.

Tenten watched with mild amusement as Sakura's father was stopped by a nurse and redirected to the nurses' station, followed by his embarrassed, but obviously worried wife.

"What the hell do you mean; **_I have to calm down_**?! My daughter's in the damned emergency room for Christ sake! I **_demand_** to know what the hell's going on!" He roared and Tenten instantly understood why Lee seemed to be wishing that he was anywhere else but here. That man scared **_her_** and she has never officially met him before. She had no plans to either. As much as she was worried for her friend, and she truly was, she felt that the others should know of the situation (and it was a good excuse to dodge the oncoming bullets).

She stood and stretched, turning to face Lee. She raised an eyebrow as Lee tried slouching in his seat to appear smaller and shook her head. "I should probably tell everyone what's going on and why Sakura won't be able to make the party today." She turned to walk away from Lee with Neji willingly following. Before she went too far, and tilted her head around to get a better look at Lee and said, "Lee, don't worry too much. Sakura and the babies will be fine. You'll see." She smiled at him briefly before leaving the troubled boy alone.

Lee sighed and only hoped that Tenten was right.

_**---**_

Down the hall, Matsou was deeply annoyed and agitated. How dare they forbid him from seeing his daughter? Hadn't he the right? He was her father! He had all the right in the world to go see his baby girl. His thoughts then shifted gears and focused on the **_reason_** why he was here in the first place. Forget about what he said about giving Lee a chance. **_Damn_** that boy! It was **_his_** fault that Sakura, his precious Sakura was here suffering! It was his fault that Sakura was carrying his spawn!

With any luck, Sakura would lose the babies and they could go back to the way things were, before all this ever happened. He also knew that that was wishful thinking and he had to admit, albeit grudgingly, that wishing for Sakura to lose the babies was a coldhearted and almost **_demonic_** thing to wish on **_anyone_**.

How could he, the proud father of a beautiful girl, wish such misfortune on someone he loves so unconditionally? He knew the pains of losing someone so dare; someone that he was never able to meet. Truth be told, Sakura was his and Miki's third child. It was a painful thought he wished to avoid thinking about, but he couldn't stop himself as they invaded his mind.

Four years before Sakura was born, Miki found out that she was pregnant with their first child and he was ecstatic with the thought of becoming a father. They were young and inexperience and this was a new experience for them, a whole new adventure. The pregnancy went exceptionally well, but somewhere during the birthing, complications were met…

Matsou closed his eyes to block out the pain he felt during those hard times. It was a boy, his son…the son that he never had the chance to meet. Both he and Miki were torn apart over the tragedy. It was a horrible time for both of them, but they learned to move on and one and a half years later, Miki was pregnant once more with their second child. They were terrified. What if the same thing happened like last time? What if this one wouldn't make it too?

Miki went to every appointment that was necessary and then some. They were determined to keep this one. They so desperately wanted a child to love, to raise, to teach and watch grow.

Luck was far from their side once again as the fifth month rolled around and Miki was struck with an excruciating abdominal pain. And then came the blood. Fear overtook them and Matsou got Miki to the hospital as soon as possible…but they were too late.

It was a miscarriage.

He didn't think that the pain of losing his first child could return with such force at losing his second. They were grieving and came to the conclusion that it just wasn't meant to be. They weren't supposed to have children and that thought alone tore them up inside.

And then a miracle happened.

When Miki, for the third time, found out that she was pregnant **_again_**, they were scared out of their minds. Would this one survive or would it…end up like the previous two? He didn't think that he could take another one. He knew he wouldn't be able to.

And then, his precious and beautiful Sakura was born. He was able to hold her in his arms. He was able, for the first time, to look down upon her beautiful infant face and smile at the **_life_** that **_lived_**. She was his little miracle and he would do anything in his power to protect his baby.

"Matsou?" The voice of his wife cut deep within his thoughts.

He looked up at her. "What?"

"Are you alright?" She asked gently, placing a hand on his forearm.

"No I'm not alright," Matsou grunted as he tiredly rubbed his index finger and thumb against his temper to fight off the coming headache. He turned back to the forgotten nurse. "When will I be able to see my daughter?"

The nurse meekly replied with a 'in a few hours sir' before dashing off to find something else to do. Anything to get away from the intimidating man.

Matsou growled and stomped down the hall, briskly walking past Lee without even noticing the boy. However, Lee wasn't so lucky when the man stopped only a few steps away and slowly turned towards him, his eyes had the look that could kill ever the most powerful of ninjas.

Lee gulped as he found out that he was caught and no matter how fast he could run, there was no escaping the bloodlust. He immediately stood up at attention, his arms stiffed by his side and his breath hitched in his throat. Not even his most dangerous and challenging fight could compare to the terror he was feeling now. He guessed that the saying was true when they said that there was no wrath worst than that of a parents' wrath.

Matsou stared him down like a man who could rip apart titanium with his bare hands. Lee's eyes glanced briefly to the clenching and unclenching of the older man's hands and he could tell that he was fighting back the urge to strangle him.

Miki stood behind Matsou and rested a slender hand on her husband's shoulder to try and ease his nerves. It almost worked, if it weren't for the fact that his daughter was in one of these rooms.

Thankfully, nothing else could be exchanged as the door to Sakura's room slowly opened and out stepped Tsunade, looking worn and tired. She stifled a yawn and looked around the area with a raised eyebrow. All heads turned to her in anticipation.

Lee's heart was thumping wildly in his chest and all thoughts were focused on finding out about Sakura and their children. He felt lightheaded and sick as the worry consumed him. He needed to know if she was okay, if **_they_** were okay.

"Tsu-Tsunade-sama…" He choked back tears as he spoke, his voice cracking. His eyes shined with unshed tears and hope. "How…is she?"

Tsunade glanced in the room before completely stepping out into the hallway and closing the door. She looked into all three of their eyes before speaking. "Well,"

_**---**_

Damn it! Damn it all! Damn **_them_**. Why was this happening? Why now? He was confused and he needed to sort out his thoughts. For years he avoided them like the plague, trying to find true power. It was hopeless. The feelings he thought he left behind years ago resurfaced with such a force, he wasn't sure what he was doing was what he really wanted.

Yes, he wanted to avenge his parents; his clan. He wanted to be able to live again, live the life he had before the onslaught of everyone he cared about. For the first time in years, Sasuke Uchida wanted to cry out in pain, in irritation, in frustration and to cry just to be crying. He doesn't even remember the last time he actually cried, really cried.

"Damn it!" He cursed as he threw his fist against a tree, causing the poor defenseless tree to splinter in all directions, leaving nothing but a disfigured stump.

Suddenly, there was a slight click of the tongue that sounded behind him, like someone was testing him. "Tsk, tsk, Sasuke-kun, are you having a bad day?" The voice taunted and Sasuke turned around to only come face to face with none other than Orochimaru. Orochimaru was standing only mere inches away from him.

Sasuke eyes narrowed dangerously. "_Orochimaru_," he spat in distaste, like that very name was venom on his tongue.

Orochimaru gave Sasuke a smug smile, his tongue poking out the side of his mouth and slowly moved across his lips. "I see that you're happy to see me, Sasuke-kun." Orochimaru loved toying with his precious Sasuke-kun.

Sasuke refrained himself from punching Orochimaru a hole through his chest. He knew that he could not win in a fight against the Snake Sannin. Instead, he ground out between clenched teeth, "What do you want, Orochimaru?"

"Ah-ah-ah," Orochimaru said with a wave of his right index finger. "How do we address our Lords and Superiors?"

Sasuke's nerves were wearing thin, and this snake bastard wasn't making matters any better for him. "What do you want, Orochimaru-**_sama_**?"

Orochimaru smiled that damn sickening smile. "Ah, Sasuke-kun, if only you knew." His laugh was deadly.

_**---**_

_**AN**: I did it! I actually did it! I got it out before Christmas! Happy Holidays everyone! I really do hope that you all, **everyone**, enjoyed this chapter. I felt that this chapter wasn't that good, though, but I'll let you be the judge of that.. Inspiration just…hit and took over. I had only three pages when I started on it today and I just **knew** that today would be the day that I get this chapter out and low and behold, here it is…Wow. I hope nobody lost interest in this baby. It's here to stay, guys. This beauty ain't goin' nowhere. Thanks to **everyone** who stayed with me and supported me throughout this whole ordeal. I love you guys endlessly. I mean it. You're like my extended family, without your thoughts and comments this story would really be **nothing**. Here's yet another heartfelt thank you:_

**_THANK YOU SO MUCH!_**

_**Additionally**: Orochimaru might have seemed a tidbit out of character, but you gotten forgive me. It's been months since I even glanced at Naruto (aside from a few selected fanfics). I'm sorry, but I find this to be a little bit funny. Oh, and yeah, I have NO idea what's going on in Naruto Part II. None. Zip. Zero. Zilch. Nada. Not only that, but Sasuke's persona is drawing a blank too. Basically, I'm just winging it from here on out. Hopefully, that won't ruin the fic._

_I'd like to thank my **mother** for reading this over for me, twice, and providing me with feedback. I told her to read over this **very** slowly and **very** carefully two times. I wanted to make sure it was good enough to be posted and the reason I didn't ask any of my friends to do it was because, well, I wanted to surprise everyone. Yep. Merry Christmas everyone and may you have a good one at that! _


	16. Chapter 16: To Love

**Disclaimer**: Last time I checked, I still didn't own Naruto.

**AN**: Yes, I know, it's been FOREVER!! But HERE!! FINALLY!! The next chapter of _**The Power of Youth**_. I'm actually pretty excited about this, and I'm sure you are too…I've rewrote this chapter at least six to ten times, I kid you not. What's going to happen now? Well, what are you waiting for? Read on!!

_**--**_

The Power of Youth

Chapter XVI

"To Love"

By SapphireWhiteTigress

_**--**_

Lee couldn't sleep, he wouldn't even dare try. Every time he would close his eyes, visions of her would enter his mind. Her beautiful smiling face and her equally beautiful eyes would haunt him endlessly. Her laughter would fill his mind's ears. It would drive him insane. He forced himself awake as in slouched in the only chair in the quiet, dark room. The only sound was the slow and steady beat of the heart monitor that was carefully placed next to the still figure in the bed. The small room was littered with get well gifts from friends and family.

It was nighttime now, the sun having gone down long ago. It felt like years went by, since the start of that morning. It could have been too, Lee felt disoriented, like he was having an outer body experience or a recurring nightmare. His heart constricted painfully within his chest as new tears welled inside of his dark eyes once more. He looked towards the single bed, watching the figure silently and praying that she would pull through. She looked so pale and so fragile, almost like she was…

No! She was fine. She had to be.

Lee slowly moved his hand to clasp those of his beloved. His fingers intertwined with hers and he held her hand tightly in his. He was afraid that if he let go, he would lose her forever. As he looked upon her face, he remembered the words that Tsunade told him earlier that day.

_**--**_

_Tsunade glanced in the room before completely stepping out into the hallway and closing the door. She looked into all three of their eyes before speaking. "Well," she started, taking a deep breath. This was painful for her to say, but she knew she must continue on. They had the right to know. "The worst has passed," she paused as there was a collected sigh of relief from the small group of three. "She's now in stable condition…but…" She paused once again to take a deep breath. Lee's blood ran cold as all possibilities ran through his head. She continued. "During the operation, Sakura slipped into a coma."_

_Lee stared wide-eyed at Tsunade as his world came crashing down around him. Everything else that was said after that went unnoticed by him as he was paralyzed, but he could scarcely remember hearing Sakura's mother asking about the babies._

_The answer that Lee heard made his heart stop and he couldn't take it anymore. He fainted. _

_**--**_

As he broke from the memory and the feeling of relief, he gently caressed her silky smooth hand with his thumb. He remembered hearing somewhere that it helps if you tried talking to them, that they could hear you, even in their deepest dreams. He cleared his dry throat, it felt like forever since he was able to speak.

"Sakura-chan…" He whispered. His voice sounded croaked and it almost hurt to talk, but he didn't care. He squeezed her hand before continuing on. "Sakura-chan…I…" He paused to gather his thoughts. "I love you so much…" he whispered as the tears fell from his eyes to form a damp pool on the white blanket that covered Sakura's prone body. His heart ached painfully for her. He watched her intently, hoping to see a sign, any sign that she'll wake up soon.

There was nothing but the steady beating of the heart monitor.

He sighed but didn't move a muscle. He tried talking to her again. "Sakura-chan, please…wake up? My world is nothing without you. If you can hear me…please, come back to me…"

Silence was his only answer.

_**--**_

Weeks flew by with no sign of any changes. The doctors tried everything they could to pull Sakura out of her lapse, but there was just nothing they could do. Nothing but wait and hope that she'll pull there. Lee refused to leave her side until he was forced by Gai and Kakashi to take a much needed rest. Lee could only sleep for two hours before he found himself back at Sakura's side, holding her hand, and talking to her. He hoped that his words would reach her. He knew that they would.

Others came to visit too; Ino, Naruto, Tenten, and all of their friends. Even Shikamaru came in for a brief visit. Each of them noticed how bad Lee looked, but kept their comments to themselves as they came and went, leaving Lee once again to be alone with the unconscious girl.

It has been three weeks now, as Lee found himself seated by her bed. His eyes were bloodshot and heavy from all the tears that wouldn't stop falling and from the lack of sleep. He shed so many tears that he was afraid he had none left. His hair was sticking out at all angles, but he didn't really care. He was lacking his usual green jumpsuit and orange legwarmers as he now done on a pair of loose black pants and a black sleeveless t-shirt. He looked like someone who had just lost someone very important to him.

He hasn't smiled for three whole weeks, no matter how much his friends tried to cheer him up.

His bloodshot eyes traveled to Sakura's pale face and well-rounded belly. Just a few more months, and then the babies would be born and if…and if Sakura doesn't wake up by then…

He didn't even want to think about it.

He took a deep breath and tried talking to her again, willing her to find his voice and follow it. It hurt to speak, but pain was now something he was all too familiar with. He told her, every single day, how much he loved her and how much he needed her in his life. He told her that when she woke up, he'll change. He'll be a better man. He would protect her with his very soul. He told her that without her, life was not worth living. That he would just be an empty shell, wasting away. He told her that the pain he was feeling was the worst possible feeling of pain he had ever felt, more excruciating then when Gaara crushed his leg and arm.

Tears were dripping from his eyes and his heart screamed, just like he wanted to do now. He wanted to cry out loud, to sob like a child. To pull her into his arms and repeat over and again how much he wanted her to be with him, now and forever.

"I thought I would find you here, Lee." A voice came from the door, interrupting Lee's thoughts and agony. Where else could be possibly be?

Lee knew instantly who the voice belonged to even before he turned around to face him. "Gai-sensei? Is something wrong?"

Gai looked at his young pupil with concerned eyes. To see Lee like this pained him deeply. He stepped into the room, blocking the only source of light provided from the hallway. "Lee," he hesitated, but only for a moment, "how are you feeling?"

Lee turned away from his sensei to wipe away the shameful tears that continued to fall from his eyes. He hated for his sensei to see him like this, but he supposed that with the current circumstance, it couldn't be helped. "I…I am fine, Gai-sensei." He lied with an unsteady breath. It was obvious to anyone who knew him that he was far from being fine. "Considering…" he turned sad eyes to the woman on the bed.

Gai shook his head. "Lee, you need to rest. Your youthful exuberance has gone dried. You will not be doing Sakura any good if you are unwell yourself!"

Lee looked towards Gai and sighed, unwilling to leave her side at all for anything. "But Gai-sensei…"

Gai walked across the room and quickly closed the distance between the two, placing his large hands on Lee's shoulders. "Lee, listen to me, killing yourself over this will not change the fact that it happened. The best that you can do for her is to rest now, so when she does wake up, you will be well rested and give her your most youthful greeting!"

Lee's eyes glistered with tears once again as his bottom lip trembled. "Ga-Gai-sensei…"

"Lee," Gai said with a smile on his face.

"Gai-sensei!" Lee exclaimed as he hugged his sensei, allowing the tears to freely fall.

Gai returned the hug, holding the heartbroken boy in his arms, like a father would a son. And for a moment, Gai could almost imagine that Lee was actually his real son.

After the emotional scene, they drew apart and Gai suddenly looked serious. "Lee, there is something that we must do."

Lee blinked at his sensei. "What is that, Gai-sensei?"

Gai took a deep breath, "Well, Lee, it seems that Hokage-sama has a mission for us." He started.

Lee eyes widen. "A mission? But Gai-sensei! What about Sakura-chan? I cannot leave her side."

Gai glanced towards Sakura on the bed. "Lee, do not worry about Sakura. Hokage-sama has the best medical ninjas taking care of her. She is in capable hands."

"But Gai-sensei, what if she wakes up when I am not here? I want to be there for her!" Lee tried insisting. He wouldn't be able to concentrate on successfully completing a mission while Sakura lay unconscious in a hospital room, with the prospect of death looming overhead. He turned to his sensei pleadingly. "Is there no one else to take on the mission?"

"Lee," Gai started to say, "I know how you must be feeling, but you must uphold your duties as a Konoha Ninja."

"Gai-sensei…" Lee looked between the man he admired and the woman that he loved.

Gai smiled softly at his pupil. "Lee, there is nothing for you to worry about. Once this mission is complete, you may return back to your beloved Sakura. It will take no longer than a few days."

Lee bowed his head slightly as he gave in. Everything would be okay. He trusted Gai-sensei with his life so there was no reason not to trust him right now. Gai-sensei said that it will take no more than a few days. He hoped that he was right. He took a deep breath before slowly releasing it and lifted his head up to face his sensei again. "What is the mission, Gai-sensei?"

Gai smiled at Lee.

_**--**_

Naruto sat alone at the stand of his favorite ramen restaurant, a barely touched bowl of cooling ramen in front of him. His mind was blank as he refused to think about anything. He completely ignored his uneaten ramen and the people around him as he stared into the bowl, not really 

seeing the contents. It's been three weeks since Sakura has been in a coma. To see one of his best friends, his old crush, in that state chilled him to the core.

His mind was numbed with possibilities and what ifs. What if Sakura doesn't wake up? Should he then blame Lee, one of his closest friends? As much as he would like to, he knows that Lee would _**never**_ intentionally harm Sakura in any way. Lee loves Sakura with every fiber in his being and he would rather die a trillion times then let anything happen to her.

He was slightly aware of the feelings he still harbored for his friend, and as much as he would like to, he just couldn't shake them. He had Hinata now and she truly cared for him, deeply. It wouldn't be fair to her if he continued to have such feelings for his pink haired friend.

Hinata was sweet and she deserved someone better than him, didn't she? He wasn't worth anyone's love, especially hers.

_**Stop feeling sorry for yourself, brat.**_ The inner voice that belonged to the demon inside of him growled.

'_Shut up, damn fox. I'm not feeling sorry for myself.'_ Naruto growled back at having his thoughts interrupted by that annoying creature inside of him.

'_**Oh, I'm not worthy of being loved. What do I do now?' **_The fox mocked his vessel angrily. _**I'm only going to offer you advice this one time, kid, so you better listen up. I hate repeating myself.**_

'_Just go away,'_ Naruto said to the fox as he now started to play with his food. He took a small bite of his ramen and almost immediately spit it back out. Cold ramen was _**never**_ a good thing, no matter how much he liked it. He sighed and stood up to leave.

The owner and his daughter sadly watched as Naruto disappeared into the crowd.

The Kyuubi roared loudly, almost deafening the boy. Naruto winced and rubbed at his ears in frustration. _'Why the hell did you do that, you stupid fox?'_

_**Shut up, kid. I'm getting tired of you feeling sorry for yourself over nothing. It annoys the hell out of me to listen to your inner thoughts. Don't take this the wrong way; I could care less about you. I'm only doing this for my own benefit. Got it?**_

'_Whatever,'_ Naruto inwardly rolled his eyes as he walked slowly down the street. The streets were partly busy as many faceless people did their own things. Naruto paid no mind to any of them as he went on his way. Where he was going, he wasn't sure.

_**Grah, you are one annoying little punk. **_The Kyuubi paused before continuing with what he wanted to say, _**Look, brat, get over it. Those feelings you have for that pink haired companion of yours aren't real. She doesn't love you, no matter how much you think you like her. And feeling sorry for yourself won't change that fact. Look, idiot, that Hyuuga has genuine **_

_**feelings towards you. She is probably the only person -ever- who will take the time to love someone like you. Hell if I know why anyone could be with an idiot like you. But, hell, she does. Love is not something you should take lightly kid. If you love her, tell her so. If not, end this now. That whole bullshit about 'not being worthy of love' -is- bullshit. If I ever hear you pitying yourself again, I'll escape and kill every single person that you hold dear, got it?**_ He concluded with a huff and growled.

Naruto was shock and speechless as he now stood stock-still in the middle of the street. Who knew that the fearsome Kyuubi could be sentimental, even though he did have a funny way of showing it?

_**I'm not sentimental, idiot.**_

Naruto drew himself from his thoughts and grinned. _'Hey…thanks stupid fox. I never knew you were so wise. Maybe everything will work out…'_ His grin dissipated as another thought enter his mind. "I just hope Sakura-chan will be okay…" he whispered.

"Naruto-kun?" The soft and gentle voice of his girlfriend whispered from behind. Naruto couldn't help the grin that spread across his face as he turned to her.

"Hinata-chan!" He gave her a fierce hug. It felt like forever since they last seen each other. The last time they were together was yesterday when they both went to go visit Sakura in the hospital.

Hinata blushed a beet red as she returned the hug, albeit shyly.

They released from their hug and Naruto took a good look at Hinata, gathering all his thoughts and feelings for the little beauty that stood in front of him. She really was a rare gem, something that one would spend their whole life searching for. Yeah, it was corny, but Naruto didn't really care.

"Naruto-kun…are you…are you okay?" She timidly asked him as he led her down the street.

Naruto gave his girlfriend a grin before slinging a strong arm around her shoulder. "Of course, Hina-chan!" He was only slightly surprised that he felt better now that Hinata was there with him. Maybe now he could really let Sakura go and focus all his attention on his lovely girlfriend. She deserved everything and more from him. He kissed her gently on the cheek and a blush immediately burned Hinata's neck and cheeks. Naruto was being oddly affectionate and she found that she enjoyed it. "How about we go get something to eat and then visit Sakura-chan later?"

Hinata nodded shyly as they made their way in search of something to eat, that didn't consist of ramen. It was the least he could do for her.

_**--**_

Lee sighed, slightly irritated, a rare sight for the green-clothed ninja. He was stuck here, on an _**escort**_ mission for some lord while he _**should**_ be by Sakura-chan's side. He even had the urge to strangle Gai-sensei for dragging him away from her. What made matters worse was the fact that the lord that they were currently escorting was a self-centered, egotistical jerk only concerned about himself. He claimed that he needed someone to guard his goods as they traveled from Fire Country to Tea Country.

What they didn't expect was the sudden ambush that took them all by surprise. Four Sound Ninjas jumped from their spots in the tree, as if expecting the travelers. Lee and Gai-sensei quickly stood in front of the man that they were escorting to protect him and his goods from the sudden attack.

"What is going on here?!" The Lord cried out in surprise. "Protect me from these fiends!" He demanded and Lee rolled his eyes, biting back the rude comment he so badly wanted to say.

"These two must be from Konoha, huh?" One of the ninjas said.

Another nodded, snaring. "Should we take 'em to Orochimaru-sama?"

The third shook his head. "No. We were told to eradicate the enemy. Every. Single. One." The enemy ninja grinned smugly behind his mask. "These guys should be a piece of cake." He said cockily.

Gai took up his traditional fighting stance, with his back erected and his left arm placed firmly behind his back and right arm outstretched towards the enemy. "Lee," he started to catch his favorite pupil's attention. Lee glanced up at Gai-sensei, adopting the same stance as his teacher.

"Gai-sensei?"

"Protect Kenjimaru-sama with your youthful power." He said, not taking his eyes off of the four Sound Ninjas that surrounded them from for different points.

Lee nodded once. "Hai, Gai-sensei," he stood protectively in front of Kenjimaru-sama, as if daring the Sound Ninjas to try something.

This caused them to laugh. "I've heard about these characters; wearing green, hm? That brat Sasuke said that they're not hard to handle. I think even _**he**_ could beat them."

Gai-sensei frowned, deep in thought. "It is rude to underestimate your enemy."

"Really," the opposing ninja said, with a terrifying grin. "Let's do this then." And the four ninjas launched in an array of attacks, forcing Gai-sensei to defend.

_**--**_

**AN**: Wow, it took me years for _**that**_? Don't worry, the next chapter won't take as long, I promise, because I'm already going to start on it!! I just really needed to get SOMETHING out there for you guys. Tell me what you think! I know that a few things may seem weird and whatnot, but, well….I like it. Well, REVIEW!! That's what got me getting this one out. Reviews Inspiration and Inspiration More Frequent Updates. (Sorry again for the major delay).


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